


Too Far Gone

by TheHuntersPrincess123



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, Fights, Friends to Lovers, Love/Hate, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-10
Updated: 2015-09-17
Packaged: 2018-02-08 07:16:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 52,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1931622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHuntersPrincess123/pseuds/TheHuntersPrincess123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy Jackson saves Annabeth Chase's life and unravels a very unwanted chain of events.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Red swings and a little too much caffiene

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovely readers! So just a little background on my story, it is AU. It will also be in first person throughout (except for the prologue), it will just change POVs between Percy and Annabeth. I just wanted to clear that up before you started reading, so as not to confuse anybody. I also just wanted to say thank you for clicking on my story and I hope you enjoy!

Prologue

A five year old Annabeth Chase ran to her favorite red swing set in Central Park. There was only one swing left and she knew it was hers. The brilliant smile on her face faltered when she saw her seat taken by a little shaggy haired boy who looked to be around her age. 

"Hey!" She wailed. "That was my seat!"

The little boy halted mid swing and plunged his feat into the mulch to stop. He raised his green eyes to Annabeth and gave her a questioning look. He watched as Annabeth stood resolute with her small hands on her waist. He laughed at the sight, she reminded him of one of those angry cartoon characters with smoke coming out of their ears.

"Well, I got here first!" The boy called back.

"Well, I saw it first!" Annabeth argued.

"That doesn't count for swings!"

"It does too!"

"Does not!"

Annabeth huffed in obvious frustration and stomped her foot. That swing had always been her swing. She had been flying through air on that seat since she could walk and no one would take it away from her.

The little black haired boy went right back to pushing himself higher and higher on the swing while Annabeth was to stand there and watch. After what Annabeth deemed to be forever she walked behind him and once he swung back to her, pushed him off of her swing. 

"Ouch!" The boy said through his sobs. The boy held his knee with a tiny scratch starting to seep blood. 

"hmph" Annabeth mumbled. She ignored the boy and took her rightful place on her red swing. 

"You're a bully! I'm telling!" 

Annabeth went right along swinging on her swing with not a care in the world. This was her bliss. It was hard work being a five year old. She had to remember all of her ABC's all of the time, draw inside the lines, and raise her hand just to talk! She needed her hour on her favorite fire engine red swings. 

"That's her! She's the one that pushed me off of the swing!" The little boy said pointing to Annabeth. He was talking to a women, who Annabeth assumed to be his mother. 

Annabeth stopped herself on the swing and met the little boys angry glare with one of her own. It wasn't long until her own mother had shown up.

"Annabeth, did you push this little boy off the swing?" Her mother asked, appalled.

"Mommy, this is my swing! I had too!" 

Before Annabeth knew what was happening her mother had scooped her up into her arms and plopped her down in front of the inky haired boy. His green eyes were glowing from his crying session and tear stains ran along his cheeks. 

"Now, Annabeth I want you to apologize right now!" Annabeth's mother said from behind her.

"I'm sorry," Annabeth mumbled.

Annabeth's mother pursed her lip, her brown eyes giving Annabeth a dissaproving look. She looked away from Annabeth and to the boy.

"What's your name, sweetie?" Her mother asked.

"Percy," The boy said through a hoarse voice. He rubbed his eyes with a fist and frowned.

"Alright, now Annabeth try again."

Annabeth did everything she could to hold in her exasperated sigh.

"I'm sorry I pushed you off of the swing, Percy." Annabeth said in her five year old, monotone voice.

Annabeth's mother nodded, and she went to go speak with Percy's mother. Once they were both out of ear-shot Annabeth spoke.

"I can't believe you tattle-tailed on me!" 

"You pushed me off a swing!"

Annabeth crossed her arms and pursed her lips.

"I hate you, Percy!" She proclaimed.

Percy's little hands fisted at his sides and he stuck his tongue at her.

"Well, I hate you more!"

Thus began a hatred between Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson, that wouldn't be resolved until one unfortunate night twelve years later.

…

Twelve Years Later...

Annabeth

I walked quickly into the nearest Starbucks, away from the chilly New York, November air. The warmth of the shop hit me in a very welcome embrace. I unraveled the scarf from around my neck and slipped into the line to order. I ordered three coffees, one for me and my two best friends; who were running late.

As I sat down at one of the small table, a bell at the door chimed. I looked up to see the flushed faces of my two best friends, Piper McLean and Thalia Grace. I glanced at my phone, school started in about twenty minutes, and we still had to walk another four blocks.

I handed the girls their coffees and started to walk out of the store. "Oh, no Annabeth please, can't we stay in this wonderfully heated coffee shop for just a few more minutes?" Piper practically begged.

"No, you two were late, we only have twenty minutes until school starts, and we have to go now!" I reasoned.

"Oh, c'mon Annie! Lighten up; it won't kill us if we are a few minutes late to first period!" Thalia countered.

Thalia's nose scrunched up in anticipation for my reaction, marring the slight sprinkle of freckles on her face. Thalia was your typical punk rocker. The one thing she couldn't live without was her iPod. I was pretty sure her headphones were permanently attached to her ears. She had her music blasting even then, making me wonder how she could even hear a word I said.

"Maybe it wouldn't kill you, but my father and step monster would have my head on a silver platter. She'd probably even serve it to my annoying little brothers!" I exclaimed.

My mother had died when I was nine, and my father had gotten remarried not even a year later. The terrible twins didn't take long to come either. Unfortunately for me, my stepmother hated me, though what I ever did to her I'll never know. Sure, I hated her in return, but that wasn't until after she made her feelings clear about me. Every argument I ever had with my step mother always ended up being my fault, thanks to my father who always sided with her. I didn't want to, but I had come to resent my father over the years. Just once, I wanted him to agree with me, but it hadn't happened yet.

"Ugh, fine let's go!" Thalia gave in. "Great! Oh, and don't call me Annie!" I threatened as I wrapped my scarf around my neck once again. I braced myself for the cool air, as the three of us stepped outside together.

"Brrr!" Piper whined, as she tugged her snowboarding jacket closer to her body. Piper was beautiful, but she did her best to play it down. Her brown hair was choppy and as usual, in a braid with a feather artfully weaved in. Framing her kaleidoscope eyes were natural long, dark eyelashes that when she blinked, brushed against her flushed crimson cheek bones

Even though the weather in New York had been frightfully cold, New York City had not yet seen snow. I remembered that it was supposed to snow that night, and I couldn't wait. I loved winter in New York. It reminded me of when my mother used to take me to Central Park to play in the snow. When I would get tired, we would walk back to our apartment together after buying our favorite hot chocolate from a street vendor. Of course, that was all before she got sick.

I snapped back to reality when Thalia stopped abruptly. I accidentally stepped on Thalia's black 'prized' combat boots. Thalia took her ear buds out and looked back at me with an eyebrow raised. Her electric blue eyes flashed, which looked particularly menacing through her thick, black eyeliner. She had a "you did not just do that look" on her face. 

"Sorry Thals, I wasn't watching!" I said quickly, trying to slowly back away from her.

Even if Thalia and I had been friends since first grade, Thalia is still managed to scare me. Thalia pretty much scared everyone on a daily basis actually; except for Piper and I. Thalia's tough attitude and overall intimidating appearance led most people to steer clear of her. No one really knew how to approach a girl with a shirt that said "death to Barbie" on it.

The three of us had stopped in front of the school, waiting for the hoards of people to pass before we decided to venture into the nightmare we called junior year. "Are you girls ready for our daily dose of humiliation, and social shunning?" Piper asked in a sickly, sweet voice. Piper can make anything sound amazing.

"Why of course Piper!" Thalia said imitating Pipers earlier voice. We latched elbows, and entered Goode High School.

We walked through the halls seemingly unnoticed. The three of us said hi to a few friends as we walked by, but most of the attention was on the 'popular' crowds. They were all broken up into different cliques. They rarely ever interacted with each other. There were the obvious choices, like the jocks and the cheerleaders, but there was also the untouchable gangs the Demigods and the Titans.

The Demigods were one of two rivaling gangs at Goode High School, which consisted of the school's number one playboy Percy Jackson. The other gang, the Titans; was run by Luke Castellan, who was equally as notorious for using women as Percy, the only difference was Luke had a reputation for having a bad temper. I did my best to stay away from them, all they spelled was trouble with a capitol T.

Once the three of us finished at our locker and the first bell rang to get to class, Thalia and Piper set off to their first period, while I walked alone to my math class. I did my best to remain discreet, but somehow the popular crowd had noticed me scurrying down the hall.

"Hey Chase, what's your hurry?" Percy Jackson's voice bellowed through the halls. I turned to see the Gang leader smirking at me nonchalantly. I had to admit he was gorgeous, with his sea green eyes, and perfectly wind-blown, jet black hair. It was no wonder he had practically every girl begging at his feet for attention, with the exception of me. I knew who he really was, a world class jerk.

"Oh, you know, to get to class. I actually want to go to college and help to make a difference in this world, unlike you, Jackson." I replied, before turning around and walking off.

"At least he's not some freak, loser like you!" Drew Tanaka called from right next Percy. I hadn't seen her before, but when I looked back I saw Drew hanging on Percy like he was her lifeline.

My ear's burned in embarrassment. I had always been teased for being extraordinarily smart. I was never ashamed of being intelligent; it was other people who made me feel as though I was a freak. I had come to terms with my intelligence though, it was something that kept me connected to my mother. My mother had been a professor at Columbia, she was incredibly intelligent. I wasn't going to let anyone ruin that connection to her. It felt like as long as I continued to push myself to be the best I could be, I became closer to her, and to everything she accomplished. I always told myself not to let name calling like that bother me anymore, or at least I tried to.

I turned around and called out to Drew, "Um, who's the freak here? At least I don't look like a clown. Seriously Drew, you might want to lay off the makeup. Oh, and the perfume! I can smell that rancid stuff from all the way over here!"

Drew's jaw dropped, along with many others that were around. No one talked to Drew Tanaka like that, it was practically social suicide. I didn't care, it's not like I had much of a social life in the first place. Feeling completely satisfied with my comeback, I pranced down the hall to my first period with a smirk on my face.

Percy

Damn Annabeth Chase, I thought. All because of her I had to listen to Drew complain about how everything that Annabeth said was untrue. Sure, I agreed with Annabeth on the perfume and makeup thing, but I would never admit to Annabeth Chase being right. Ever. That girl had pride the size of Texas, and I had no intention of making it any bigger.

Once I had finally wriggled away from Drew, I decided to skip third period for a smoke break. I had never really been into the drugs, smoking, and alcohol thing until freshman year. Freshman year was the year my father Poseidon recruited me into the Half bloods. My father had started the gang when he was a kid in High School, and now I was in charge. Poseidon still looked over all the proceedings, but he had bigger, more illegal fish to fry than a teenage gang.

I was in the hallway right next to the boy's bathroom when I heard, the faint clap of foot steps. From around the corner came none other than Annabeth Chase. The girl was a major teacher's pet, and all the teachers asked her to run errands, she was barely ever in class.

I had hated the girl for as long as I could remember. The funny thing was I couldn't even really remember why anymore. All through school we had bickered with each other, called each other names, and just never gotten along. For one thing, we were completely different people. It made it easy to hate her because she was so different. She was the nerdy little Annabeth Chase. She was the girl that always raised her hand first and always had the right answer. We were just so different. I was the slacker, the guy who couldn't be bothered to raise my hand. I didn't wake up everyday looking forward to a day of struggling just to read what was on board while the letters flipped twenty different ways in my head (I had a serious case of dyslexia). What was strange, however was that Annabeth didn't look like your typical pencil pusher, she was all tan skin and long legs. He gold hair bounced behind in ringlets as she bounded down the hall. When she saw me in the hallway she frowned and started walking in the opposite direction.

"Oh come on Chase, don't tell me you're scared of me now?" I called after her. She stopped mid-step in the hallway. She turned around with her eyebrows raised, and her grey eyes blazing.

"Me? Scared of you? Please! I just didn't want to get in a fight with you, and be here all day. I have to get back to class!" She huffed, her pride obviously damaged.

"Of course, you could never miss a lesson; you just have to have perfect grades, perfect attendance, and be the perfect student. You're just plain perfect, huh?" 

My sea green eyes narrowed. In a way, I was slightly jealous of Annabeth. She had a future, something to look forward to in life. And what did I have? All I would ever have is my gang, but did I really want to stay a criminal for the rest of my life? I wasn't so sure.

Annabeth frowned, as if contemplating my earlier statement. "I'm not perfect. Far from it, I actually have to work to succeed," she answered honestly.

I was left slightly dumbfounded. I was used to her wearing her pride on her shoulder. Annabeth was smart and she knew it. She walked around the halls with her head held high with a confidence that couldn't be faked.

I pursed my lips. The faultless Annabeth Chase was admitting she wasn't perfect, it was strange. 

"That's a very noble and modest thing to say, Chase. When did you get all high and mighty?" I asked her.

"Maybe, I've always been like this. You have no idea who I am, Jackson. All you care about is you and your own little world! You have no idea what goes on in anyone's life, but your own. You go through life watching the world pass you by, have you ever even stopped to think about anyone else? The sun doesn't rise and set just for you, you know." She ranted. 

Annabeth huffed, and a faint blush crossed her cheeks, as if she just realized what she had said. My eyes turned to slits as I watched her.

No one talked to me like that. Ever. It seemed like everyone was always walking on eggshells around me, like they were scared of me. I suppose they had a right to be, I had done some pretty horrible things those past couple of years. Goode High School had no idea what I was capable of though, and I guess that is why everyone was so afraid to speak their mind around me; they were afraid I'd snap at them. Just like I was about to snap at Annabeth.

"You are such a hypocrite! You don't know anything about me! What exactly is it that you care about, huh? When have you ever stopped and asked someone what was going on in their lives? I'm going to guess never, because you're too involved in your books to look up and see the world doesn't revolve around you, either!" I growled back.

I watched her as she scrambled to come up with a comeback. Her foreign grey eyes brightened and darkened as she soaked in information.

Annabeth was no different from anyone else at Goode High School. Everyone at my school only listened to the rumors about me and the Half-bloods. The only people who actually truly knew me was my cousin Nico Di Angelo and Grover Underwood. It made me so angry when I would walk down the hallways and I would hear people whispering my name, when I had never even spoken to them once. Sure, maybe I wasn't the best guy in world. Alright, fine; I can admit that I'm not a good person, but that is no one's business but my own.

Annabeth slowly raised her eyes to mine. Her eyes turned to saucers as she took in my angry expression. Annabeth's lips sealed into a fine line as she replied. She looked as though she was struggling to stay calm. 

"Fine, we both don't know each other! We can at least agree on that. So why don't we just leave each other alone and stay out of each others lives! It's not like we're friends anyway, to be honest I really don't like you. So, we never have to talk to each other again!"

"Yeah, whatever. We agree we don't like each other, and we avoid each other as much as possible. Sounds great." I said in a flat voice.

"Fine," Annabeth said.

Annabeth was not going to have the last word, I always got the last word.

"Fine!" I said in attempt to end the argument.

Of course the mature thing for Annabeth to do, would be for her to walk away, but where is the fun in that?

"Fine!" Annabeth said in an outburst.

"Fine!" I exclaimed.

I suddenly just got a flashback to when we were five and fighting over a swing. Huh, so that's when it started.

Thankfully, the bell for fourth period rang, ending our immature spat.

"Ugh! Whatever, Jackson!" Annabeth stomped off, down the hall and away from me.

I just stood there with my jaw clenched, cigarette still in hand. I silently cursed Annabeth Chase. She was without a doubt the most annoying girl I had ever meant, and that's saying something, considering I dated Drew Tanaka for a week.

I shook my head, and threw down my cigarette and stomped on it. I slowly began to walk to my fourth period, hoping I would never have to deal with Annabeth Chase and her smart mouth again.


	2. No cellphone, big problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth gets into a bit of a situatian and Percy finds her afterwards.

Annabeth

Piper, Thalia and I all started to walk home together. School had just ended and I was recounting my run-in with Percy Jackson. "Just ignore my idiot cousin, it's what I do," Thalia told me. I just smiled and nodded. The air was cold, but the sun was shining, so it wasn't as bad as the walk that morning.

"Piper, we should work on our history project tonight," I suggested. "Oh, yeah sure." Piper agreed. "Your house or mine?" she asked. "Defiantly yours, I don't want to have to deal with my family tonight…" I explained. Piper and Thalia exchanged looks. They always told me that I should tell my dad about how my step mother treated me, but what they didn't understand was that he wouldn't care. When they had first got married, I had run away. They didn't find me for about a week; there were only so many places a ten-year old can go before it started to get suspicious.

When I had returned home, the news of my step mother's pregnancy hit me...hard. From that day forward, it was as if I ceased to exist in my father's eyes. The only time my family ever talked to me was to badger me about my grades or chores, and my stepmother was the worst of them all.

"Okay, then let's go." Piper said. Soon, Thalia took her separate way from Piper and I. Finally, we made it to Piper's building. She lived in one of the nicest buildings in all of New York, and she lived in the biggest penthouse at the top of the building. Piper's father was a famous actor, but sadly he wasn't around much for her.

I became mesmerized as we walked into the opulent lobby, just like I always was. I did a slow 360 around the room, the lobby had high golden ceilings, with arches that came to the top and met in the middle. The tile flooring was a sunrise orange with specs of gold and brown intermixing. The lobby had four long couches each facing each other to create a square shape, with a small Persian rug in the center. On top of the rug held a glass center table with golden legs propping it up, a gorgeous vase of flowers sat atop the table. The walls were a dark burgundy and every few inches a modern painting adorned each wall. The reception desk was a dark mahogany and sitting behind it was a pretty blonde talking into an ear piece.

"Earth to Annabeth, can we go upstairs now?" Piper said slightly annoyed, and slightly amused. "Huh? Oh, yeah!" I said with a slight blush crossing my face. I wanted to become an architect when I was older, and every time I saw some big, beautiful building, swells of hope would encircle my heart.

I followed Piper to the elevator, and we silently filed in. Piper pushed 22, the number to her penthouse. Her penthouse took up the entire floor, so she was the only one who could get up there.

Once the elevator finally stopped, there was a gate with a pass code for us to get in. Piper typed in her pass code, and pushed back the wrought iron gate. Like the lobby, Piper's penthouse left me breathless.

On the right side of the room was the living room, it had a large brick fireplace with a flat screen attached to it. Directly in front of the screen were two sleek black couches and in the middle of the room stood a small but elegant silver chandelier.

The entire back wall was glass that looked out to the New York City skyline. I loved coming to Piper's at night because the entire city would be lit up like a Christmas tree.

There was a kitchen to the left that consisted of all stainless steel appliances, with tan wooden cabinets. A large island sat in the middle of the kitchen with a marble coating.

Henrietta, Piper's housekeeper/nanny was in the kitchen cooking something that smelt incredible. Piper walked over to her and gave her a peck on the cheek; she started to explain that she and I were going to work on a project together. "Alright, would you like to stay for dinner Annabeth?" Henrietta asked with a slight accent.

"That would be great, thank you!" I replied. Piper and I made our way to Piper's room to begin their project.

Piper and I were just about finished with our project on the Cold War when we heard someone talking in the living room. "I'm going to go see who's there," Piper told me. I only nodded in response.

I heard Piper squeal in delight from the other room. "Dad! What are you doing here?" Piper exclaimed in joy. I quickly got up and peered around Piper's door frame.

Tristan McLean, the famous actor and Piper's father stood in the middle of the room with a huge grin on his face. "What? I can't come and see my daughter?" He asked with a smirk playing on his lips. Piper's smile was starting to resemble the one of the cheshire cat. "I just can't believe you're here, I haven't seen you in months! Aren't you still filming that movie," Piper asked confused. "I am, but I have to promote another movie here, in New York. I'm only going to be here until tomorrow night, but I wanted to come and surprise you!" Piper's father exclaimed.

Piper's face seemed to falter for a split second, "Only until tomorrow night?" She said, sounded slightly disappointed. Tristan McLean's face set into a hard-line, "Yes only until tomorrow, but I thought you could skip school tomorrow and we could spend the day together!" He suggested.

Piper's face brightened instantly "Really? That would be amazing! Thanks dad!" I smiled to myself, I was glad to see Piper so happy. Piper rarely ever got to see her father. I stepped out from my 'hiding place' behind the door and came to meet Piper.

"Oh! Dad, this Annabeth, one of my best friends," Piper exclaimed. I had a feeling Piper had forgotten about me in all of her excitement. "Very nice to meet you Annabeth," Tristan McLean said, as he extended a hand to me. "It's really cool to meet you, Mr. McLean!" I said barely able to contain my excitement in meeting a movie star, as I shook his hand.

Piper gave me a weird look. I suppose I'm not usually affected by something as petty as meeting someone famous, but who was I kidding it was TRISTAN MCLEAN! I saw Piper's look, and composed myself quickly. "It was great meeting you Mr. McLean, but I should get going," I said.

"You don't have to go," Piper said. "Oh, I really should! it's getting late. It's already dark out!" I reasoned. Piper sighed, "Okay, let me call you a cab."

Piper's father and I stood in an awkward silence while Piper called the cab. "So, how long have you known Piper?" He asked in what I assume was an attempt to ease the tension. "I've known her since we were freshman; Thalia, Piper, and I are best friends." I replied.

"It's good to know Piper has such great friends, I hate leaving her here all alone. It makes me feel better knowing she has you girls!" He said truthfully. I offered up a warm smile. "Don't worry Mr. McLean, Piper will always have us!" I reassured him.

Just then, Piper came into the room. "Well, the cab said he can't come down this street because the snow is so bad, but he offered to pick you up a street over." Piper told me. "Yeah, that's fine. Thanks Piper." I replied. "And it was great meeting you Mr. McLean."

"The pleasure was all mine, Annabeth," Tristan McLean said accompanied by a dazzling smile. "Right, well I'm just going to go get my things," I told the others. "Okay, I'll help you," Piper offered.

The two of us went into Piper's room and started gathering my things. I quickly packed all of my belongings into my school bag. Once I finished, I began to walk out to the elevator, when Piper started to follow me.

"Um, where are you going?" I asked. Piper gave me a puzzled look. "I'm walking you to your cab."

"Piper I can get there by myself, go and enjoy your time with your Dad." I told her.

Piper opened her mouth to speak, but I interrupted her. "If you go down there with me you have to walk back alone and you'll be in the cold twice as long, it's better if I just go by myself."

"I can't let you walk the streets of New York alone at ten O'clock at night Annabeth!"

My face set into a stern line. It was ridiculous of Piper to think I couldn't handle myself, I mean does she not know me at all?

"Piper trust me I'll be fine, I have a few tricks up my sleeve if anything happens. I mean this is New York. I've lived here my whole life. Trust me, nothing scares me around here anymore."

Piper sighed, "Fine, but text me the second you get into that cab!"

"Jeeze, I will Pipe's calm down!"

I hugged Piper one last time before I descended down the elevator. Once I made it to the lobby, I politely said goodbye to the receptionist and the door man. I shivered as the cold wind hit me like a slap in the face.

I hugged my coat tighter around my slender frame and began the brisk walk to my cab. It was dark, and the snow was thick on the sidewalks. I decided to take a shortcut through an alleyway. Normally I wouldn't go down the dank and dark place, but it was cold and I just wanted to get to my cab.

I heard something behind me as I was walking and I turned around. I could see nothing through the darkness. I began to pull out my phone for the flashlight, when I suddenly realized I had left it at Piper's. An uneasy feeling washed over me, leaving an uncomfortable amount of tension to settle in my stomach.

I shook my head and blamed the noise on an over active imagination. I continued walking down the long alleyway in long strides. My lungs began to ache from the icy air, and my feet were sopping in freezing water from the snow. I'd be lucky if I didn't catch a cold.

Again, I heard a noise. The sound was just like footsteps. My heart skipped a beat, and my breath hitched. I turned around to see three tall, shadowy figures in the dark.

Percy

"So you're going to go see your Dad tonight?" Nico, my cousin asked. I sighed and kicked aside a piece of ice in the road. "Yeah."

"Why?" Nico asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea." I said with uncertainty.

My father, Poseidon had demanded that I see him tonight, something was wrong. My father barely ever talked to me, and the only time he did was for the gang.

Technically I was the leader of the Half-Bloods, but my father gave the orders. Poseidon was the one who said what and when he wanted things done. I was just the messenger. My job as the leader of the Half-Bloods was to make sure everyone stayed in line and did their job. I had to discipline my guys, even if I didn't like it. If I didn't do it Poseidon would, and it would be a worse punishment coming from Poseidon.

That was why I was nervous; I worried Poseidon was going to do something to my gang. I had never wanted to become a part of the Half-Bloods; much less be their leader. I became sucked into it after….after my life took a turn for the worse. That was a part of my life I didn't like to think about. Now that I was a part of the Half-Bloods, there was no way I could go back. I was responsible for those guys; the Half-Bloods were my family now.

Poseidon was my father, but he had never been my Dad. When in it came down to it, I would always pick the Half-Bloods over my father, because they were my real family, and it was my job to protect them. I was just hoping I would never have to make that choice. I was probably getting all worked up over nothing, anyway.

Nico began to stagger, and grabbed a building wall for support. Nico and I had come from a party that night, and he was completely wasted. There was no way I could've drank that night, not if I had to meet my father. I was meeting my father at twelve thirty, and it was already almost eleven thirty. I hadn't even gotten home to shower and change.

I grabbed Nico and put an arm around his shoulder for support. Nico smelt like a gas station, the smell of alcohol and smoke clung to him in a nauseating aroma. I supposed I didn't smell exactly like a bouquet of daisies though, either.

Nico leaned on me for support as we made our way to my apartment. Nico stopped once to throw up in the snow. Someone would walk by tomorrow to a see very unpleasant looking puke-cicle in the morning. I laughed slightly at the gross and absurd thought. I steered Nico into an alleyway, it was a shortcut to my apartment.

I could barely see down the dimly lit alleyway. The street lights from behind me cast a menacing glow over the entire ally. There was just enough light though, for me to see a flash of blonde and blood.

My eyebrows scrunched up at the sight. I set Nico up straight and walked over to someone lying on the ground. It was a girl with curly, golden hair and a large gash to her head. She wasn't moving and her skin had an unsettling blue sheen to it. A small puddle of blood surrounded her head, dampening her hair. It was Annabeth Chase. Annabeth Chase was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


	3. Getting your head bashed in totally sucks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy tries to save Annabeth's life. Once Annabeth seems stable he goes to meet his father. Annabeth wakes up very disoriented.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the continuous reading, let me know what you think!

Chapter 3

Percy

I knelt next to Annabeth Chase. I wanted to be sick just looking at her. Seeing her like that, so lifeless, it reminded me of my step Father. I heard Nico throwing up again in the alleyway which almost sent me over the edge. My stomach churned and my fingertips tingled, as I reached out to see if she had a pulse.

Annabeth's skin was startlingly cold, which almost made me snap my hand back. Instead, I pushed two fingers down on to her throat. I sighed; it was what I thought…she was dead.

I was about to extract my fingers when I felt a faint thrum against her throat. With wide eyes, I pushed Annabeth on her back, and put my ear to her chest. It was slow and weak, but it was there, a heartbeat.

My brain went into hyper drive. I didn't know what to do. My first instinct was to call 911, but there was no way that an ambulance would be able to get here in time. The streets were snowed in, and there were probably hundreds of other emergencies in New York with the horrible weather New York was having, and from the looks of it, Annabeth didn't have a lot of time. I would have to take her back to my apartment.

"Nico! Get over here, now!" I demanded. I heard Nico grunt. Nico stumbled his way over to me. I silently cursed Nico, and his drunken state. I got up and looked Nico in the eye.

"Nico, you need to focus!" I screamed at him. Nico busted into a fit of giggles at my forwardness. I flared my nostrils and slapped Nico square in the face. That seemed to get his attention because his black eyes suddenly became more aware.

"Nico, you have to help me carry her back to my apartment," I instructed. Nico glanced over my shoulder and finally noticed an unconscious Annabeth Chase. "Holy shit! Percy what did you do?" Nico screamed. I huffed in exasperation. "I didn't do anything Nico! Just help me!"

Finally sobering up, Nico nodded. "Fine, what do you want me to do?"

"I need you to call my mom, tell her to get out blankets, and a first aid kit." I said as I knelt to pick up the unconscious girl.

I carefully wrapped my arms around her shoulders and behind her knees as I lifted her from the ground. I didn't like the amount of blood Annabeth's head wound left on the cement. I faintly heard Nico on the phone with my mother. I was too focused on getting Annabeth back to my apartment, and into the warm air, that I didn't really hear what he was saying.

I had no idea how long Annabeth had been out in the 10 degree weather, but I knew it was very possible she had developed hypothermia while she was out there. Her skin was deathly cold and her pigment was no longer her normal tan color, but more of a pale blue-ish.

I never realized I could feel such concern for a girl who had just earlier that day, made my blood boil with anger. It was a strange feeling; maybe it was seeing the tough Annabeth Chase seem as fragile as a china doll. Or maybe I was just feeling sympathy, or empathy or one of those feelings. I was just confused.

As soon as I saw my apartment building, I ran through the front doors, with Nico right behind me. The warm air was so surprising in contrast to the harsh cold, that I literally gasped. It was nearly mid-night, so no one was in lobby, which was good. It might look a tad suspicious that I, Percy Jackson, the gang leader to the Half-Bloods was carrying an unconscious and bloody girl up to my apartment.

My apartment was on the second floor, so instead of waiting for the elevator I ran up the stairs.

Nico was huffing in gulps of air by the time the three of us finally made it to my door.

"Jesus, aren't you tired? I'm dying here, and you're the one carrying a 110 pound girl!" Nico said, as I knocked on my door. I looked at Nico with an amused expression.

"Nico, it was one flight of stairs." I said while shaking my head.

"Well I'm sorry; I'm not some crazy freak swimmer who can hold his breath for minutes at a time! And you know I wheeze when I have to run!" Nico whined.

Just then, the door swung open to show Sally Jackson, my mother. Her kind face was scrunched up in concern as her eyes immediately landed on the lifeless girl in my arms. "Percy, hurry up and get her inside!" Sally said urgently.

I scurried inside and sat Annabeth on my couch. "Let me take her temperature first," Sally suggested.

I moved out-of-the-way as my mother went to work. Sally took the thermometer out of Annabeth's mouth and frowned. "She's at 96 degrees, we need to warm her up." She said.

"Well, what about her head?" Nico asked.

"You're right, Percy go and get the first aid kit from the kitchen table and clean up her wound." My mother ordered. I left the room to get the first aid kit. I had gotten pretty good at treating people. Once, when a drug deal went wrong, I had to literally take a bullet out of Charles Beckendorf's leg. That was not a fun experience, especially for Beck.

As I was about to leave the room to go treat Annabeth's head, Nico came in. "Your mom kicked me out," He pouted.

"Why?" I asked.

"You're mom is getting Annabeth out of her clothes and changing her, as if I am not mature enough to see a girl in her underwear!" Nico exclaimed. I raised an eyebrow at him. I started to move past him, when Nico blocked my way. "She said you can't come in, either."

I rolled my eyes. Girls in their underwear didn't affect me much anymore; I'd seen enough of them. "Mom, I'm coming in," I warned. "Not now, Percy!" my mom yelled from the living room. "Mom, I have to meet Poseidon in a half hour, I have to clean her cut now."

Sally was silent for a second when she finally said, "Fine. But Nico has to stay in the dining room."

"Aww, c'mon." Nico complained. I rolled my eyes at Nico and his raging, fifteen year old hormones.

I strode into my living room to see my mom fast at work. She had put Annabeth in flannel Pajama bottoms and was in the middle of putting on her shirt. I stopped and stared at Annabeth, but not because she was only in a bra, but because her entire stomach was covered in purple and blue bruises. Actually, her arms and neck were also covered in bruises. I hadn't noticed how bad Annabeth was hurt in the darkness of night.

My jaw clenched and my hands curled into fists. I felt an intense rage for whoever had done this to Annabeth Chase, and I was completely shocked. I was stunned at my anger. Annabeth Chase was seriously annoying, but she never deserved this. Whatever happened to her, it was hideous, and I wanted to hurt whoever did this to her.

"Percy, would you please stop just standing there? I need you to help her." Sally said in a quiet voice, as if she might wake up Annabeth. I swallowed down my vicious thoughts and pulled out everything I would need from the first aid kit.

I got out the peroxide and put it on a clean rag, and as gently as possible, I began to clean out her cut. It wasn't as bad as I originally thought, but it definitely bled a lot. It was a clean-cut that ran from the left side of her temple into her hairline. I heard Annabeth whimper a few times, but she never woke up. By the time I had cleaned out Annabeth's wound and put a butterfly bandage across her cut, Sally had Annabeth wrapped up like cocoon, with about five layers of blankets.

Sally took her temperature, and slowly but surely Annabeth's temperature was going up. I looked down at Annabeth, and I felt like someone kicked me in the stomach. I'd never seen Annabeth so delicate, it just was not right. Annabeth was supposed to be a force to be reckoned with, someone who would put up a fight. Now she was just helpless.

Now that I thought about it, Annabeth looked like sleeping beauty. Her golden curls were sprawled out across a pillow, and her eyelashes splayed across her cheeks. She looked like a princess waiting for her prince to wake her up. Too bad he would never come. She had to wake up on her own. I realized I would have to take her the hospital tomorrow; hopefully she would be awake by then, though

I looked at the time and realized it was already 12:15. "Shit, I have to go change and meet dad!" I said bursting out. I looked to my mom and I gave her an apologetic look. My mother was no fool; she knew everything I did for Poseidon. She hated it, but there is no way for her to change my mind, so she had learned to accept it.

I was walking out the door three minutes later, but I looked back and said "Take care of her mom." Sally nodded gravely. I turned around and hurried to see my father. I couldn't be late.

I bolted through the doors of Four Seas Enterprises, my father's company. My father's building was one of the tallest in all of New York City, and at night, with only a few people working it was eerie and bare. I didn't even bother going up to the front desk, I had made plenty of mid-night runs to my father's office that the receptionists didn't ask questions anymore.

I hurried through the elevators doors, finally taking a breath. I had practically run the entire way from my apartment. I also didn't get to take a shower like I had planned, because of Annabeth. Annabeth.

Should I have gone to the police? Or maybe tried to have taken her to the emergency room? As much as I hated to admit it, just the thought of her brought a strange wave of worry coursing through me. Maybe it was good though, the sense of worry, it reminded me I still had a heart. It worried me sometimes that I was losing myself, becoming too much like my father, heartless.

I found himself thinking back to the sight of her in that dimly lit alleyway, alone and dying. So many questions popped into my head. Why was she there in the first place? Who had done that to her? Why would they do that to her? Sure she was a pain in the ass, but it's not like I wanted her dead. Maybe Annabeth wasn't so perfect after all, like she had said. Could it be that she had made mistakes that had gotten her practically killed? It really didn't seem likely.

My train of thought was cut off as the elevator dinged, telling me I had made it to the fourth floor, the floor Poseidon's office was located. The gold doors slid open to reveal a large office with desks scattered around in a strategic pattern, leading all the way to the back of the floor where Poseidon's private office was.

I straightened my back, and walked with confidence through the pathway made by the desks. The walk was short, shorter than I would have liked. I didn't like admitting weakness, but I'd be lying if I said that Poseidon didn't send chills down my back.

I cleared my throat as I knocked on Poseidon's door. The door swung open, revealing a large, burly man. One of Poseidon's goons, all dressed in black with tattoos snaking up and down his massive arm. He grunted, in what I assumed was meant to be a welcome.

I only nodded in response, and skidded around the large man. Now that the man was behind him, I could see my father behind his desk, talking rapidly to the someone on the phone, "Good, glad to hear its done. Maybe now she'll realize we aren't playing around anymore," Poseidon nodded his head as he listened to the other half of the conversation.

I had no clue what my father was talking about and I honestly didn't care. Whatever Poseidon was doing was most likely illegal and immoral, and I had enough of that just dealing with the Half-Bloods.

After a few parting words, Poseidon hung up the phone and turned to look at me. The resemblance between us was startling. My father and I were never really seen in public together, but when we were, we would always get comments on our resemblance. We had the same jet black hair, tan skin, and lanky build. I slightly resented that I look so much like my father. I've never wanted to be associated with my father. Our looks were just another thing that kept us connected.

There were considerable differences though, Poseidon wore a two thousand dollar, pin-stripe suit, while I wore a hoodie and jeans. Poseidon was the epitome of refined, while I looked like an average teenage boy. Poseidon may own a multi-billion dollar company, but my mother and I didn't see a dime of that money. The only time I ever held any considerable amount of cash from my father, was when it was always meant for the Half-Bloods.

Poseidon spoke first, "Hello, son." He said the words in a way that was suppose to be welcoming, but just hearing Poseidon's voice made me want to leave. I had hated my father for a long time, since the time I found out who is real father was, when I was twelve. Their first meeting was certainly something I wished I could forget.

"What am I doing here, Poseidon?" I said with a sigh.

Poseidon scowled, "We talked about this Perseus, you will address me as your father, with respect." His voice was low and menacing, but I didn't show any inclination that Poseidon might have affected him.

"Fine, what am I doing here, father?" I corrected.

Poseidon narrowed his eyes, but replied. "I just thought I should warn you, the situation with the Titans has grown increasingly more serious."

It was a well-known fact that the Titans and the Half Bloods were two feuding gangs. "The Halfbloods and the Titans have never gotten along, so it's really not much of a warning," I said in a mocking tone.

Poseidon raised an eyebrow and clenched his jaw, "Let me remind you son, that even though you are my flesh and blood, I can have you thrown in jail at any moment, because let's not forget that I have the entire police force under my thumb."

Percy's stomach dropped. Poseidon always used threats to get what he wanted, but he rarely threatened me. Whatever was going on with the Titans was serious. I swallowed the anger in my throat and struggled to level my voice, like my father, I had a short temper.

"I'm sorry, continue."

Poseidon nodded, "The Titans have declared war. Now, I have done my best to contain the situation, but the Titan's leader Kronos seems adamant on his threat."

"That doesn't make any sense, Kronos knows he could never win a fight against the Half Bloods. We outnumber them three to one, and even if they had strength in numbers, they don't have the resources powerful enough to beat us. I mean the Half Bloods have you, one of the wealthiest men in the world, and they have no one." I said perplexed.

"That's the problem, the Titans have found someone; someone who is willing and capable to supply them with the resources they need." Poseidon said solemnly.

My stomach clenched. This was serious. If the Titans had the ability to take on the Half Bloods it would mean an all out war between the two gangs.

"Who would be willing to help out the Titan's" I asked.

"That's not important. What is important is that I'm taking care of the situation. If all goes well, the problem should be resolved tonight. Now, I'm giving you this warning in the possibility that my plan doesn't work, be aware of the threat that the Titans oppose." Poseidon warned.

"Don't worry, father, we'll be ready."

Annabeth

I awoke to the worst headache of my life. It felt like someone had bashed my head in. When I opened my eyes, I realized I had no idea where I was. It looked like I was in someone's living room. It was small, but comfortable. Pictures hung from the walls of women and a little boy. I scrunched up my eyebrows when I recognized a picture of Thalia from when she was a little girl. Where was I? How did I get here? I realized I couldn't remember anything from that night. I started to panic.

I immediately shot up into a sitting position, and almost instantly regretted it. My entire body hurt. A shooting pain came up from my spine all the way to my head, spreading throughout my entire body in a hot rage. I managed to stifle a scream that was threatening to come up my throat.

What happened? I thought once again. Before I could ask myself any more questions a woman came rushing towards me. It was the same woman from the pictures on the walls. The woman looked to be in her forties and she seemed to remind me of someone. She had dark black hair that fell in ripples down to her elbows, and she had bright blue eyes. Her narrow face was pretty, but slightly withered down from age and sun. Her blue eyes though, remained luminescent and ageless. She looked so familiar to me and I urged myself to figure out who she was. Everything was just so cloudy in my head, and it irked me to no end.

"Hello, sweetie," the women said gently. She had a tender demeanor about her, but her cautious stance led me to believe that this woman regarded me as more of a wild animal, than a seventeen year old girl.

"Who are you?" I croaked. I meant to make it sound more demanding, but instead it came out choked and gravely. It felt as if I hadn't spoken in weeks. Which made another question pop into my head, how long was I asleep? Five minutes, an hour, a day, a month, who knew? Before I could begin on my rampage of questioning the women spoke.

"My name is Sally. Sally Jackson." Sally told me. Sally's voice was like a blanket. It wrapped around me in a warm and tight embrace and it made me feel as if I were safe.

My's grey eyes grew large in my small face, as realization dawned upon me. Jackson. Somewhere through the haze, it clicked where I knew Sally Jackson from. Percy Jackson had to be her son. They looked so much alike, there was no other explanation.

My eyes suddenly flicked to the pictures on the wall. Percy Jackson, he was little boy with ruffled black hair and sweet smile. He looked the same, but somehow completely different. The little boy in the pictures exudes innocence, whereas the Percy Jackson I knew, was hard and callous. What happened in those ten years to change him so drastically?

Finally I spoke, "Your Percy Jackson's mother, aren't you?"

A smile spread across her face, and blue eyes brightened. "Yes, I am."

"Well, not to be rude or anything but, why am I in your house?" I asked. "Actually, my son and Nico found you in the street and brought you here." She warily continued. "Annabeth, you were unconscious, and hurt pretty badly. You were out there in the cold for God knows how long, you are lucky to even be alive."

I scrunched up my eyebrows in confusion, something I seemed to be doing a lot lately. This time I felt a shot of pain in my forehead. I slowly reached up to my forehead and felt for the cut that seemed cross across my entire forehead. A sick feeling rose up in my stomach. What had happened to me?

The horrible possibilities made my head hurt and my stomach churn. Just then, Nico Di Angelo walked into the room.

"Hey! She's alive!" He exclaimed. Sally gave Nico a pointed look. "What? Come on, it was kind of touch and go there for a while. This is good news!"

My eyes grew to the size of saucers. "Touch and go? Was there ever a possibility I wouldn't have made it?" I said alarmed.

Sally was about to answer when Nico interjected. "Well, at first Percy thought you were dead when we found you. It's been like two hours, we didn't know if you were even going to wake up! So yeah, there was doubt."

Nico plopped himself on the couch next to me, and gave me a bright smile. I'm sure Nico meant to be endearing, but it certainly didn't make me feel any better.

"What Nico is trying to say is, we were very worried about what happened to you. We aren't even sure about the extent of your injuries. We will have to take you to a hospital in the morning, when the roads are clear." Sally said soothingly.

"Is that why you didn't take me to the hospital? Because the roads were bad?" Sally nodded in response. "You have to be thirsty dear, and hungry! I'll go whip something up for you."

"Just so you know, Sally makes the best cookies you will ever eat!" Nico informed me. It was all I could do to offer up a weak smile.

I had almost died that night, and I couldn't remember a thing about it. It was beyond frustrating. It was as if someone was dangling some shiny prize in front of my face, and every time I went to grab it, they would pull out of my reach. That was a game I played with my brothers, ironically. Maybe in some cruel way it was karma. I let that idea slip away, knowing it was ridiculous.

A sickening thought hit me like a ton of bricks. Whoever did this to me could easily do it again. Bile rose up my throat, and I choked it down, wincing. Someone had intentionally almost killed me, but the question remained, why?

A thought bubbled in my head. This was New York City, muggings happened constantly! "Sally, do you have my jeans somewhere?" Sally came out of the tiny kitchen in a flash. "Oh, yes. Hold on one moment!" As quick as she left, Sally was back, holding my jeans.

"I had your clothes in the dryer; they were pretty wet from the snow." Sally explained. I smile, "Thank you."

I took the old jeans hungrily, searching through the pockets. My heart quickened when I pulled out the twenty-dollar bill in my pocket. Why would muggers not check my pockets for money? Sure, they probably took my bag, but why go through all that trouble to knock me out and not at least check my pockets.

I also knew they didn't do it to rape me, I would know that. This attack was on purpose. Someone came after me for a reason, and I had little doubt they wouldn't try again.

I laid my head back down on the lumpy couch pillow. My thoughts were moving a mile a minute, and my brain couldn't keep up. My entire body hurt, and all I wanted to do was sleep.

My eyes had just fluttered closed when I felt a shift on the couch. Nico! I had completely forgotten about him, and I felt terribly guilty for it. He saved my life and I just forgot about him.

My eyes busted open. I suddenly felt dreadfully ungrateful. These people saved my life and I couldn't even offer up a simple thank you!

I turned to Nico, wincing as pain shot up my side, to my spine. "Don't move too quickly. You're going to hurt yourself even worse," Nico said knowingly.

Ignoring him,"God, Nico I am so thankful that you helped me out tonight! I owe you my life! If there is ever anything you need, don't ever hesitate to ask me," I said sincerely.

A sly smile crept on Nico's face, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Anything?" Nico winked at me suggestively.

I rolled my eyes, "Anything but that! I'm too old for you anyway."

"Oh, that's okay I like an older woman," said Nico.

I scowled. "No!"

Nico laughed, good-naturedly. "Don't worry, I'm not one to exploit my heroic-like qualities with women."

I let a bubble of laughter escape my lips. Sally called from the kitchen just then, "Annabeth I made you some food. Would you like to take it in here, or in the living room?"

"I'll come to the kitchen, thanks." I said politely.

I did my best to pick myself up off the couch, but pain flew through my body like a whirlwind. Nico rushed to me, concern falling upon his harsh facial features. He grabbed me before I fell, and had me lean my weight on him. Nico smelt of a strange mix of cologne, booze and smoke. My head was spinning, and I worried I would faint. Nico carefully laid me back upon the couch and told me to stay put.

Nico came back from the kitchen with a sandwich and water in hand. He once again sat down next to me and handed me the water. I took it gratefully, and offered up a barely audible, thank you.

I was embarrassed, I couldn't even stand without feeling like I would pass out. I was so weak, it was exasperating. I was used to feeling strong, now I felt useless and feeble.

I slowly sipped my water, and reached out for the sandwich that Nico had placed on the coffee table in front of me. I ate in silence while Nico watched TV. Every once in a while Nico would glance over at me to make sure I was still okay.

Sally came out eventually to check up on me. I was starting feel less faint and I took the chance to thank Sally properly. "Oh sweetie, it was nothing. I'm just happy the boys found you, and that you're okay."

That reminded me, where was Percy? "Where's your son? I would really like to thank him, too."

Sally's eyes darkened slightly, "Percy is out, he will be back soon though."

All I could do was reply with a simple "oh."

"He had to meet someone, it was very important, otherwise he wouldn't have left you," Sally quickly added.

I wasn't stupid, me and Percy never got along. I was lucky he even took time out of his partying to bring me back to his place. As soon as I was with Sally, he probably dropped me off and thought good riddance. I was nothing more than a nuisance to him, I knew that.

"Oh, that's alright."

The three of us sat in awkward silence for a few seconds, the TV blaring over the absence conversation. My thoughts began to wonder. My grey eyes went wide with realization. My dad. He must be worried about me, I've been gone for hours. And Piper, I promised to text her when I got in the cab.

"Do you mind if I use your phone?" I asked Sally, my voice laced with panic. "Sure, darling."

Sally came back with the phone in hand. I grabbed it and frantically pushed down numbers, My father answered on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Dad, it's me! Annabeth!"

"Annabeth? It's two in the morning, why are you calling?" My father asked.

"What do you mean why am I calling? I never came home, don't you want to know I'm okay?" I asked, hurt following my words.

"I just assumed you were sleeping over at your friend's house, you are at your friend's house, aren't you?"

Unbelievable, I thought. I was missing for hours and he just assumes I was at friend's house. I was too tired to be angry though, so I let it go.

"Yeah Dad, I'm at Piper's house. I just thought you should know." My voice was free of emotion.

"Night Dad." I didn't give him a chance to say anything, and hung up.

I did my best to avoid Nico and Sally's looks of pity. I hated that look. It's the same look I had gotten for months while my mother was in the hospital, and after she died. The look I hated the most was that pitiful smile, the one that's supposed to make you feel better, but instead it had always made me feel as if I was drowning. I was drowning in pity and sorrow, and each of those pathetic half-smiles reminded me why.

Pointedly disregarding their looks, I punched in Piper's number. Piper answered on the second ring. "Hey, it's me."

"Annabeth! Why the hell didn't you call me?" Anger and relief muffled together in my voice.

A slight smile graced my lips, at least someone still cared. "I'm sorry Piper, I left my phone at your house, and I got a little…preoccupied."

"Preoccupied? Doing what?" Piper said confused.

"Trust me, it's a long story. I'll tell you all about it when you get back from hanging out with your dad," I supplied.

Piper reluctantly answered, "Fine, but you are okay, right?"

I sighed. I was practically killed about two hours ago. I was definitely not okay, physically or mentally. "Yeah Pipes, I'm fine," I said in the best chipper voice I could muster. "I've got to go. Have fun with your dad!"

"Okay, but this conversation is not over! Go to sleep, you still have to go to school!" Piper reprimanded me.

I groaned, and Piper giggled. "Night."

"Night." I hung up. The conversation left me drained, and it was barely five minutes. I handed the phone back to Sally.

All I wanted to do was sleep, but it would take another half an hour to get back to my house, that is if I could even move. I would have to swallow my pride and ask to stay the night.

"Sally, would you mind if i stayed the night?" I asked.

"Well of course, i wasn't going to let you out on those streets, anyhow!" Sally claimed. "You can sleep in Percy's room."

"Oh, no the couch is fine, really." I replied.

"Nonsense, you are our guest, we want you to be as comfortable as possible!" Sally insisted.

I didn't love the idea of sleeping in Percy Jackson's bed. It was probably infected with STD's. Of course, it was a bed though, and it seemed rude to refuse Sally's kindness.

"Well, thank you. If you don't mind, I would like to go and get some rest." I conceded.

Sally nodded, with a sweet smile adorning her face. I wondered what it would be like to have such a caring mother around again, someone to make you a sandwich or to take care of you when you were sick. I had almost forgotten what it was like to have someone to care for you...it was nice.

I wondered how such a sweet and tender woman as Sally Jackson, could spawn such a cold son. Then again, that cold son had just saved my life. Maybe there was more to Percy Jackson then I realized, even if he didn't want to be there when I woke up. Percy still saved my life. Did that make me indebted to Percy? I wasn't sure I liked that idea, but one thing is for sure I would have to thank Percy for what he did for me.

Nico helped me to Percy's room. Nico pulled back the covers of the bed, and gently allowed me to slide underneath them. Nico gave me a half-smile and began to walk out of the room.

"Thank you Nico, for everything." I said in a voice laced with sleep deprivation.

"Anytime. Seriously, when you need a hero, just call." Nico winked, and shut the door behind him.

I was left alone in the darkness of Percy Jackson's room. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. I felt as if I were intruding on something personal. Someone's bedroom spoke a lot about a person. I felt as if I were stepping into a secret part of Percy's life and I felt slightly guilty for it. Soon enough though, sleep started to weigh down on me and I found myself slipping into a blissful dream world.


	4. A new friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth and Percy go to the hospital.

Percy

By the time I made it back to my apartment, it was almost two thirty in the morning. I walked through the apartment as silently as I could, figuring everyone was asleep. The apartment was pitch black, except for a lamp that I assumed my mother had left on for me. I wondered if Annabeth had woken while I was gone.

Low whimpers tore through the silent apartment. I walked around to the kitchen and made my way to the living room where Nico was passed out on the couch. Nico's face was in the cushion, muffling his snores. I pursed my lips. Nico was definitely not the person I had just heard.

The soft moans drifting in the air, I finally realized, were coming from my bedroom. When I reached my room, I quietly pulled open my door, revealing a small shape tossing and turning in my bed.

"No...stop! Please…" The figure moaned.

Annabeth was thrashing in her sleep. I hurried over to the bed. I grabbed her shoulders trying to restrain her while also trying to waking her up. I shook her gently trying to pull her out of her nightmare.

Annabeth's grey eyes snapped open. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her entire body was flush with struggle. Her heart pounded so heavily in her chest, I could feel the vibrations from where my hands were still placed on her shoulders.

"Annabeth, calm down. It was only a dream." I tried to soothe her. To be completely honest, I had no idea what I was doing. Words to describe me usually included, brooding, sarcastic, and temperamental, comforting was not one of them.

I left my hands on her shoulders, hoping that a simple touch would help to calm her down. Once Annabeth's heartbeat began to slow to a normal pace, she finally spoke.

"Percy?" She whispered.

I only nodded, worried I might still scare her.

"I'm sorry I'm in your bed. I should get going." Her voice was small and frail.

She began to sit up and as a result her face twisted in pain.

"Stop," I pushed annabeth back on the bed. "It's fine Annabeth, really. I'll just sleep on the floor or something."

"No, you've done enough for me tonight. I really shouldn't even be here." Annabeth's voice was choked and scratchy. She wouldn't even look me in the eye. I really wasn't sure what I was suppose to say.

I had been so focused on keeping Annabeth alive, I hadn't stopped to think what I would say to her when she actually woke up. I mean what are you suppose to say to a girl you agreed never to talk to again. Of course it was even more complicated with the saving her life thing.

Finally she tilted her head to look me in the eye. Her face was puffy and splotchy, with blonde curls frizzing at the crown of her head. The cut on her forehead wasn't as visible in the darkness, and she was covered in flannel pajamas so I couldn't see how bad her bruising was either. All together, Annabeth looked like a train wreck.

"Don't be ridiculous Annabeth, you can't even sit up." I said.

Her eyes lowered again and she sighed deeply. "Percy, I'm grateful for what you did for me tonight, but we both know the truth. The only reason you brought me back here was because you had to, it's not like you wanted to. I seriously doubt that you want me here now that awake and functioning."

Unbelievable, Annabeth Chase thought that low of me, that I would kick her out the second she was awake, or that I wouldn't even want to save her. I would be lying if I said it didn't hurt just a bit. It sucked when someone had literally no faith in you.

"Look Annabeth, I didn't save you because I felt like I had to, I did it because there was never even a choice. I was never going to leave you to die in the snow. I know we don't get along, and that you think I'm some horrible person; but I would never do that to anybody." My voice was level and sincere.

"Percy, I don't think you're a horrible person. You saved my life, a bad person wouldn't do that."

"Then I don't understand why you think I would kick you out," I said confused.

"You dropped me off at your house like I was nothing." She said quietly.

A deep groan escaped my throat. I had left her, and now she thought that I never cared about her. Annabeth and I had never been friends or even got along, but now that I had saved her, it almost felt like she was my responsibility. I felt almost obligated to care about her and her well-being.

"Annabeth, I had to leave. I wouldn't have left if it wasn't important. I want you to stay here and get better. I'll take you to the hospital in the morning, okay?"

"Fine." Annabeth conceded.

I just sat on the bed for a second listening to her labored breathing when I got up the courage to ask her, "Do you know what happened to you tonight?"

She closed her eyes and turned her head away from me. "I don't remember anything." She whispered so softly I could barely hear her reply.

Annabeth obviously didn't want to talk. I could understand, she was attacked and I wasn't exactly the first person she would go running to talk about it to. I had gotten up to leave and I had the door halfway shut behind me, when she spoke again.

"I dreamt about it."

I turned around to see her staring up at me in the darkness. Thats what her nightmare was. That was why she was so distraught when I had woken her up. She was dreaming of her attack.

"In my dream there were these three guys. They just kept taunting me, like they were enjoying it. I couldn't see their faces in the dream, but I remember their voices. I remember every punch, every kick, every touch, everything. Except their faces. I could feel the pain too. I begged them to stop, but they kept saying that I deserved it. Then you woke me. You saved me, again." By then I could hear her choking on sobs.

I had never seen Annabeth look as vulnerable as she looked then. In that moment I knew I was completely screwed. Annabeth Chase and I were now connected. I couldn't just leave her after tomorrow and act like nothing had ever happened. Annabeth was scared and she needed help. Deep down I knew that I was the only person that would ever be able to help her. How the hell I was to do that, was beyond me. Just then was the longest conversation we'd had without getting into a fight. Once Annabeth was at her full strength and talking back to me every two seconds, I might be the one that tried to kill her.

I had to try though, to help her. To be there for her. I also wanted to find the bastards that did this to her and unleash the wrath of the Half-Bloods on them. We were in this together.

I walked back over and sat at the foot of my bed.

"We are going to find whoever did this to you, I promise."  
"We?" Annabeth questioned.

"Like it or not, but I'm a part of this too. And besides no one can put a hit out on Half-Blood soil and think they can get away with it." I told her.

She stayed quiet for a while. "You saved my life tonight, and now you're offering to help me, thank you Percy. Really, thank you. Today, when you said I didn't know you. You were right, I don't know you. But if this is who you really are, then you are worth getting to know."

Annabeth continued to surprise me. Even at her most vulnerable state she remained bold. I was at a loss for words, so I said nothing. I got up and left the room, but not before I told Annabeth good night.

I stole the blanket that was draped over the couch, and took out a pillow from the closet. I situated the pillow on the carpet and wrapped the blanket around me. Tomorrow would be interesting, I thought as I fell asleep to the sound of Nico's snoring.

Annabeth

I didn't get much sleep that night. After my talk with Percy, which was probably the strangest conversation I had ever had, I couldn't fall asleep. I don't think I wanted to either, somehow I knew those dreams would be waiting for me on the other side of unconsciousness and it made me sick to think about.

Once the sun peaked its way into the window, I figured it was safe for me to get up. I was stiff and I felt like there was a hot metal rod up my back, but I managed to get out of bed. My bare feet padded on the wooden floor as I made my way up to the bathroom. I walked through the living room and I saw Nico and Percy passed out. Nico was snoring and Percy was drooling, the two made an interesting pair.

I smiled to myself and made it to the bathroom. What I really needed was a shower, but I didn't want to wake anyone up, so I settled for washing my face. It was the first time I had looked in the mirror since the attack and it made me want to cry, all over again.

My entire face was deathly pale and covered in scratches. My left cheek was black and blue and the cut along my forehead looked angry and red. The person in the mirror looked nothing like me. The question once again popped into my mind, who would do this to me and for no apparent reason?

I must have stared at myself in the mirror for a good five minutes, with water running. A knock on the door just about gave me a heart attack.

"Are you okay in there sweetie?" Sally called through the door.

I hadn't noticed the tears slipping down my cheeks. I think I was having one of those out-of-body experiences, where my mind slipped away somewhere else. I shook my head and gathered my thoughts. I quickly turned off the running water and called back to Sally.

"I'm fine, just trying to get some hot water."

"Alright, feel free to take a shower. I'll slip your clothes in later." She told me.

She didn't have to tell me twice. I couldn't wait to get the remnants of last night washed off. The hot water felt nice on my sore body. Once I got out of the shower I didn't even bother to look in the mirror. My entire body looked like I had been hit by a Mac truck. I don't think there wasn't a spot on me that didn't have a mark. I would have to be completely covered for the next few weeks, I guess that's one perk of being attacked in the winter; you have clothes to cover up the bruising. Yay.

Sally had set out my clothes from the day before on the sink while I was in the shower. I quickly slipped them on to get away from the cold air. I walked out of the bathroom, and found myself walking into the kitchen.

Sally was making breakfast when I walked in. It smelt of bacon and freshly made pancakes. I couldn't remember the last time anyone made a home cooked breakfast in my family.

"Annabeth, good morning. How are you feeling?" Sally asked when she saw me standing in the doorway.

"I've been better," I said sheepishly.

"Well maybe a nice warm breakfast will make you feel better," Sally said.

I smiled and walked into the kitchen.

"Do you want any help?"

Sally looked at me and she let a warm smile slip onto her face. "Of course! Percy never offers to help, but that's mostly because he doesn't get up before noon."

I laughed a little at that. The way she talked about her son, well it was nice. It reminded me of how my mother used to talk about me.

Sally and I got to work in the kitchen. I helped her whip up more batter for the pancakes, while she fried the bacon. Working in that kitchen seemed so normal, so rudimentary, that it allowed me to forget about the night before.

I hadn't realized the weight in my shoulders that must have settled in last night until I noticed it's absence. That kitchen was freeing. Sally made me feel so much at home it made my chest hurt. I had forgotten what that felt like.

"Well it looks like we're all done! We make a good team Annabeth!"

I laughed a little, "Yeah, if you ever need help with pancakes, I'm your girl."

She smiled and patted me on the shoulder as she was leaving the room, "I must go wake up the sleeping beauties." She rolled her eyes at me before she left.

I decided I should set the table for everyone. It was the least I could do after everything they had done for me. I went searching through the cupboards for plates, and once I found them, they just so happened to be on the top shelf. I wasn't exactly the tallest girl either, so it would make this more difficult.

I leaned up on my tip-toes and had to stretch my entire body. A small scream escaped me before I could stop it. My ribs felt like they were popping out of my sides and it left me breathless.

Sally, Percy, and Nico all came running into the kitchen. By then I was on the floor in a heap. I tried to get back up, but i ended up sliding back to the cold tile floor. I felt completely pathetic.

"Annabeth what happened?" Sally asked, concern taking over her voice.

"I was just trying to reach the plates. I'm sorry I thought I could do it," I said through a labored breath. It hurt to breathe. I was starting to seriously wonder if I had broken a rib.

"Why the hell would you do that? I can barely reach those plates," Percy said.

"I was just trying to help." I whispered.

All of their faces turned to sympathy within a second. It looked like they had just seen someone kick a puppy. Maybe in a way they had. I suddenly felt even worse.

I sighed. "Can one of you guys help me up?"

All three of them were by my side in a second. I felt six hands tugging on my body. I was being pulled in three different directions and I thought I was going to faint from the pain.

"Maybe just one at a time," I said through the haze.

All three of them let go of me at once. I fell straight on the hard tile. I landed with and "oof".

"I feel like there is some serious miscommunication going on here." I grunted into the floor.

"Oh, Annabeth. We're so sorry," Sally said sincerely.

"Annabeth, you should really work on your communication skills," Nico decided to inform me.

"Yeah, Nico I'll get right on that," I groaned.

"Shut up, Nico" Percy reprimanded.

I felt someone's hands wrap around my waist and was slowly brought to my feet. I turned my head and realized Percy's face was only inches from mine. He looked different. He was in a t-shirt and sweatpants. His hair was in ten different directions. He didn't look like the Percy Jackson I knew. This Percy looked too real, not anything like his normal perfection.

A small giggle escaped my lips. "Did you hit your head or something?" Percy asked.

"No, your hair looks ridiculous," I continued to laugh in his face.

"Okay, now I know you hit your head. No sane person could ever laugh at my looks, they usually stare in awe," Percy said.

That just made me laugh harder. Soon Sally and Nico began to join in.

"I can still drop you, you know," Percy grumbled.

I narrowed my eyes at him in a silent dare. "You wouldn't."

"You have no idea what I'm capable of," Percy warned.

The joking suddenly turned a little too serious. This Percy, the one that looked like any other teenage boy, was not the real Percy Jackson. The real Percy Jackson was a dangerous gang leader, some who couldn't be trusted. Just because we had one conversation last night without us actually fighting, didn't make us friends.

"Well Percy, why don't you go get ready. Annabeth should get to the hospital as soon as possible." Sally said trying to ease the tension.

I was about to argue, when I realized it was pointless. I could barely stand, let alone get myself to a hospital. I would have to come to terms with the fact that I was helpless, at least for the time-being.

"Yeah, Mom. Sure." Percy helped me over to a chair and left the room to go and get ready.

"Well, who wants pancakes?" Sally asked.

I always hated hospitals. I probably shouldn't though, I mean I practically grew up in one. My mother had cancer. She was in and out of the hospital constantly for five years. I of course always came with her.

Percy ended up taking me to the same hospital where my mother had been treated all those years ago, the Johnson Memorial hospital. In my time at the hospital, I got to know the staff pretty well. I would come and visit them occasionally, but not very often. Not a big fan of hospitals, remember?

I mostly only came to visit for selfish reasons. When I missed my mother I would always go to the Johnson Memorial. They would always talk about my mother with me, and sometimes that's all I needed. My father never talks about my mother anymore.

I felt guilty sometimes that I never actually visited the hospital because I missed the staff, I would visit because I missed my mom. Maybe it's strange and twisted that a place where my mother endured so much pain would become a place of such solace, but it was the only place I ever felt close to her.

The halls of Johnson Memorial held a lot of memories, good and bad, and they all came flooding back to me as I stepped through the doors once again. Percy had to help me walk through the lobby. Ever since my little incident this morning it had been nearly impossible for me to walk without hobbling over in pain.

Percy guided me up to the front desk, where Jeanine sat typing away. Out of the entire hospital staff, Jeanine was by far my favorite. Mostly because her and my mom had become such close friends. Jeanine was one of the few people in the world that understood what it felt like when my mom had died, because she got to experience how wonderful my mother was.

Jeanine looked up for a split second and then back down at her computer. Suddenly her head snapped right back in our direction.

"Annabeth?"

"Yeah, Jeanine, it's me." I reassured her.

"Oh my gosh, what happened to you?"

I really didn't feel like recounting last night's events all over again, and Percy must've realized that, because he chose to explain for me. By the time Percy was done, Jeanine practically had tears in her eyes.

"I can't believe its been six months since I've seen you and this is how you show up!" Jeanine said.

"Oh, sweetie I have to call the police and file a report."  
"Jeanine, that's not necessary, there is no evidence left. Even if there was it's buried under two inches of snow.

"That may be true, but it's protocol. Also, you never know. Maybe they will know more than you think." Jeanine suggested.

"I hope so," I said in a small voice.

"Why don't you two just sit down, and I'll go get Dr. Apollo." Jeanine said.

Dr. Apollo had been my mother's doctor during treatment. I never really liked him. He always spoke in riddles, he never got around to the truth. Just once, I wished a doctor could have been straight about how sick my mother really was.

"That's okay, I'm sure he's busy. Whoever isn't with a patient now, will be fine." I said.

"Don't be ridiculous Annabeth, Dr. Apollo will want to see you anyway." Jeanine insisted.

I nodded and started to walk to the waiting room, with Percy's help of course. Once he sat me down, he moved to sit next to me.

I really didn't like hospitals. It smelt sterile and no one smiled, except for the nurses, and those were fake, perky smiles. Now that I thought about it, hospitals are all fake. Nurses and doctors do everything in their power to make you feel like everything is okay, but it's all an illusion. If everything were okay, I'd be at school falling asleep to the sound of Ms. Dodd's voice now.

"So, how do you know that receptionist?" Percy asked me.

We had barely talked since he had went to get ready that morning, so I was surprised when he spoke.

"My mom, she was sick for a while. I used to come here all the time," I answered. I've never minded talking about my mother being sick. Yes, it sucked, but it happened. My mom had cancer and it was a part of her life, so it deserved to be remembered.

"Oh, is she…" I could tell what Percy was asking, and that he didn't want to come right out and say it.

"She died when I was nine, she had cancer." I answered his unasked question.

Percy closed his eyes and turned his head away from me.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Percy said remorsefully.

I touched his arm, and he looked back over to me.

"It's okay, really. I dealt with her death a long time ago."

Percy continued to look at me strangely, and I couldn't quite decipher what he was thinking. Just then, a nurse I didn't know called my name, breaking Percy and I's eye contact.

Percy helped me to my feet, and guided me to the nurse. The nurse gripped my arm, and began to guide me down a long hallway.

"Wait, Percy are you coming?" I asked before I could stop myself. It was selfish of me to ask, he had already done so much for me, but I really didn't want to be alone in that stupid hospital.

Percy looked surprised but he recovered quickly. "What can't stand the thought of being parted from me?" He said through a cocky smile.

I rolled my eyes at him, and tried to control the embarrassed blush the heated up my cheeks.

"I'm just kidding Chase." Percy began to follow us down the hallway, and finally we made it to my room.

"Doctor Apollo should be here soon, but in the mean time, I'm going to have to draw some blood." The nurse told me. I wasn't a giant fan of needles, but I figured it couldn't possible be as painful as my ribs were at the moment.

The nurse worked quickly, which I was thankful for and I barely felt a thing. The nurse left soon, but not before she offered Percy a shy smile, which he in turn replied with a wink. I once again rolled my eyes.

Not too soon after, Dr. Apollo was walking through the door.

"Annabeth, Jeanine said you were here. Of course I wish I were seeing you on better circumstances" Apollo greeted.

"Yeah, me too." I agreed.

Apollo turned to Percy and greeted him also. "You must be the fella' that saved Annabeth, I am Dr. Apollo."

Apollo thrust out his hand, looking for a handshake. Percy shook his hand hesitantly. I don't think Percy was accustomed to such formal greetings. Apollo walked back over to me, where I was sitting on the stiff hospital bed.

"So tell me Annabeth, what happened?"

I told him I was attacked, and that I didn't remember a thing about it. He then went on to ask me all the normal doctor questions, "Where does it hurt?" or "Did you feel that, or that?" Basically that was how it all went down, until I had to go and get x-rays to make sure I didn't have any internal bleeding.

Turns out I had no internal bleeding, but I had two broken ribs. Also, the major gash on my forehead should have gotten stitches as soon as it happened, and now it was too late. Apollo said it would probably scar, but it would heal eventually. Other than that, all I had was minor bruising, and he said that would heal up in a few weeks.

"I am going to prescribe you pain medication for your ribs. Your ribs should heal in about four weeks. Feel free to come back in you have any more complications." Apollo said.

"Sure, thanks Dr. Apollo," I said.

"Of course, and next time you visit, it better be to just say hi," He said as he was walking out.

"Alright, ready to go crip?" Percy asked me.

"Don't call me that." I said in an annoyed voice.

"Whatever you want...crip."  
"If it didn't hurt to move now, I would so hit you" I threatened.

"Oh, I'm so scared. Little Annie is threatening me." Percy mocked.

"Alright, no one calls me-" I was cut off by a knock on the door.

Two police officers came waltzing in through the door. One was tall, lanky man most likely in his forties. While the other was a short woman, around thirty.

I heard Percy curse under his breath. He probably wasn't a big fan of cops, being a gang leader and all.

"Hello Ms. Chase. I am officer Crawford and this is my partner, officer Griswold." The woman said.

"Hello," I said meekly.

"We are just going to ask you some questions about what happened to you last night, is that alright?" She asked me.

"That's fine," I sighed. I was starting to get really tired of talking about last night.

"Look, why don't you guys come back to tomorrow or something. She's tired and I'm sure she doesn't feel like talking about this again." Percy interjected.

"And who are you?" The man, Officer Griswold asked.

"I am Percy Jackson." Percy gave them a confident smile.

Both of the officer's faces turned white. They knew who he was of course. Or more accurately, they knew what he had done.

"Percy Jackson, how strange to find you in the middle of this little attack," Griswold said sarcastically.

Percy raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "C'mon, you can't possibly think I had anything to do with this. I'm the one that saved her life for christ's sake!"

"Well it is a little convenient that you just so happened to find her." Officer Crawford interjected.

"Hold on," I said. "I was attacked by three guys, and I remember their voices. None of them sounded anything like Percy. He had nothing to do with this."

"See, I'm completely innocent." Percy defended. "Why don't you do your job, and investigate who really did this to her instead of blindly blaming me."

Percy was close to shouting by the time he was finished talking. Percy really didn't like cops. Finally the two officers averted their focus back on me. They asked me a bunch of questions, most of which I didn't know the answer to.

"It was most likely just a mugging, I'm sure you'll be fine." Officer Griswold concluded.

"But they didn't take any money from my pockets," I said.

"Maybe they got spooked and ran," said Crawford.

"Are you kidding me? They take the time to beat her to a pulp, but they get scared as soon as they try to get the money from her. That is bullshit." Percy said with anger.

"Well do you have any idea who could have done this? Did you see anything when you found her?" Officer Crawford asked.

"No, but the only people I know in this town that would put a hit out on some girl, would be the Titans." Percy added.

I looked over in confusion at Percy. He never said anything about the Titans. Even if they did attack me, they would have had no reason for it.

"Do you have any proof of that?" Crawford asked.

"No, but it certainly fits their character." Percy said.

"I don't know, sounds a lot like the Half-bloods to me," Officer Griswold argued.

Percy narrowed his eyes and said, "The half-bloods had nothing to do with this."

I was starting to get extremely confused. Everyone was just throwing around names, and none of it made any sense. I had never done anything that would warrant an attack. I had never goaded on either gang. Well, maybe Percy. Percy and I did fight a lot, and we had just had a major fight that day. It was also quite convenient that he found me last night…

No, what was I thinking? Percy saved my life, there was no way he would have done this to me. Was there? So many unanswered questions were swirling in mind and it was giving me a headache.

"I think it's time we left." Percy said.

Percy went to help me up from the bed, but I hesitated for a split second. I don't really know who Percy Jackson is. Could I trust him? I would have to for the time-being.

I allowed him to pull me from the bed and from that hospital, away from the police officers, and the lingering memories.


	5. Secrets

Percy

My knuckles turned white as I gripped on to the steering wheel. I hated to admit it, but the cops had gotten under my skin. How could they just accuse me and the Half-Bloods for what happened to Annabeth? But, If I were being honest, the cops weren't the only thing that was bothering me, it was Annabeth.

Annabeth wouldn't even look at me. Did she think that I hadn't notice when she hesitated to come with me? If she didn't want come with me, she should have stayed at the hospital with Officer tweedle dee and tweedle dum.

Annabeth's constant tapping on the car window was also starting to grate on my fried nerves. I had, had enough. I swerved the car to the side of the road and brought it to an abrupt stop. Annabeth's hands slammed against the dashboard.

"What the hell is the matter with you!" Annabeth screamed at me.

"What is the matter with me? What is the matter with you?" I yelled back at her.

"I'm not the one that almost just got us killed!"

"No, you're right. I only just saved your life!'

Annabeth looked at me like I had grown two heads. I just sat there trying to calm down my breathing. I counted twenty cars that passed by us on the side of the road before I turned to look back at Annabeth. Her eyes were the size of saucers. Dark circles were prominent against her still pale skin. I wondered if she even slept at all last night. Then, all I felt at once, was guilt. Annabeth had gone through so much in the past twelve hours. She was scared and confused, and I was only making it worse for her.

I sighed. I was a total asshole.

"Look, I'm sorry. I'm angry about those cops." I couldn't handle looking at her innocent and slightly scared face, so I settled for looking ahead at the road.

"Percy, I'm sorry. They had no right to blame you for what happened." Annabeth said.

I felt her small hand wrap around my fore arm, which caused me look back at her.

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't think you did this." She said. Her grey eyes glistened. Her eyes were so clear I could see my reflection through them. I looked like hell. My eyes were wild and my entire face was flushed with anger.

"You don't have to say that. I saw you. You believed every word they were saying." I said in a low voice.

Her eyes lidded slightly, and she sighed. "I was confused. I am confused. I have no idea who could have done this to me and everyone was just throwing around names. Percy, I just don't know what to believe and I don't know who I can trust."

She bit her lip, which I assume was an attempt to stop the tears in her eyes from spilling down her cheeks. In the past twenty-four hours I had seen Annabeth cry. Twice. Annabeth would never cry in front of anyone, especially not me. She needed help.

I knew I was suppose to be the one that helped her. I just didn't know how to. Annabeth wasn't just some girl who needed your attention for ten minutes and she would be fine. Annabeth needed support. If I helped, which I had already said I would, I couldn't just drop her off at her house and never talk to her again. We would have to figure this out together, because I couldn't turn my back on her. She just looked so lost and afraid.

"You can trust me, I promise." I tried to implore. She didn't look convinced.

"Percy, when you said you would help me find whoever did this to me, you didn't actually mean that. Or did you?"

"Annabeth, I meant it. I am going to help you."

"Why? Why would you even want to help me? You've done enough you know, there's no need to. And, I certainly don't you need you to feeling sorry for me, if that is what this is about." Annabeth told me.

She just didn't get it. Hell, I barely even understood it. This obligation I felt to her was strange. I liked it though, this helping thing. I had become so consumed in the Half-Bloods and my father's antics that the opportunity to help someone else was...refreshing.

"Look, I'm not doing this because I feel sorry for you. It's hard to explain, but this is just something I need to do, for you and me." I tried to convey.

Her grey eyes darkened, I could see the intelligence behind them, trying to make sense of my words. I could understand her reluctance to believe me, let alone trust me. It was obvious I was going to have to prove to her that I was serious. Her nose scrunched up, she was still confused.

"I just don't understand what's in it for you." Annabeth said.

"That's just it, there isn't anything in it for me. But, when I found you last night, your life was literally in my hands. I did something good, something really good. Maybe I just want to do something right, for once." I told her.

She gave me this strange look that I couldn't quite decipher. She just kept staring too, to the point where it was starting to get uncomfortable.

"I understand I'm inexplicably handsome, but there is no need to stare."

She blinked and a blush fluttered to her pale cheeks.

"You're a lot different from who I thought you were Percy Jackson." She said finally.

I sighed.

"So it would seem."

I started the car once again, and made my way back on the road.

I dropped Annabeth off at her house after the hospital visit. We didn't talk after our little 'heart to heart', besides her incessant bickering about my music. I almost lost my grip on the steering wheel trying to keep her away from the radio. She stopped after that.

Since I spent all morning at the hospital with Annabeth, I didn't even bother going to school that day. I went straight to the auto shop. The auto shop was a cover my father created for the Half-Bloods to make less than sanitary deals with certain clients under the table. When we weren't making deals though, the auto shop was just like any other of its kind. All the gang members were welcome to work at the shop, and most of the guys spent a lot of our time there.

The shop was quiet because most of the Half-Bloods were at school. They used to skip class on a regular basis until I told them that if they kept skipping, I would kick them out of the gang. Just because my future would most likely always be with the Half-Bloods didn't mean that theirs had to be. I wanted them to get out of the business, to graduate high school, get a job, do something with their lives besides be a part of the Half-Bloods.

I had just gotten to work when I heard the metal door in the front of the shop swing open. I grabbed a rag to wipe off some of oil that clung to my hands, as I walked out front to see who was at the door. I was surprised at who I saw, to say the least. Luke Castellan the leader of the Titans stood at the foot of the door.

"What the hell are you doing here, Castellan? Are you trying to start a war?" I asked incredulously.

He smirked at me. Dirty blonde hair fell into his dark blue eyes and as he smirked the scar on his cheek wrinkled on his face.

"Well now that you mention it, I'm here on official business. Kronos would like for me to pass on a message." He said in a voice filled with malice. Kronos was the leader of the Titans. He was always trying to find a way to take down the Half-Bloods.

I narrowed my eyes at him and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Well you better make it quick, before I decide you've overstayed your welcome."

Luke just laughed like I was his best friend and I had said something funny.

"Kronos would like to make it clear that the days of your gang ruling the New York streets are over. The time for the Half-Bloods is done, it's the TItans time now."

"Do you realize what you are saying? You are asking for a war and I think we both know who would win." I reasoned.

"Oh Percy, you see the Titans numbers are growing, quite rapidly too. Also, I don't know if your daddy told you or not, but the Titans now have an anonymous backer who is willing to give us all the resources we need to take the Half-Bloods down," Luke sneered.

Well, I guess my fathers plan didn't work too well last night. The Half-Bloods had a serious threat on their hands if what Luke was saying was the truth. My question was, who was stupid enough to go against the Half-Bloods or more accurately my father.

"Anonymous backer huh? Sounds like they're too scared to even show their face. I would be scared too, if I were trying to go up against the most feared gang in New York city."

Luke narrowed his eyes.

"I don't make deals with clients Kronos does, and it's my job to see those deals through. The deal with our backer is that we end the Half-Bloods and that is exactly what I intend to do." Luke threatened.

"Then I guess this means war."

Annabeth

Once I got home from the hospital I went straight to bed. To my displeasure I found that the memories of the attack continued to haunt me in my dreams. I slept as much as I could, but I usually woke up screaming. My father came to check on me once.

I had decided I wasn't going to tell my father about the attack for two reasons. There was nothing he could do, and I was so tired of thinking about it. If my father didn't know about it, he would never ask about it. It was dark in my room when he came to check on me, so he couldn't see any cuts or bruises. I sent him away as quickly as I could.

I got up extra early that morning to take a shower. After I got out of the shower I found an old pair of hair cutting scissors. I grimaced at the old things and what I was about to do. I closed my eyes and snipped. I had bangs, the perfect cover for the gash across my forehead.

I looked at my new hair in the mirror. It wasn't horrible. My blonde locks were almost dry by the time I was done covering the bruises across my cheeks with makeup. I grabbed a long sleeve shirt and a thick scarf that would cover the bruises on my neck, and a pair of worn jeans. I looked myself over in the mirror, and I was pleased to see no signs of an attack.

On the other hand I could definitely still feel the aftermath of the attack. It was a struggle to get down the stairs of my house. I winced at every step. When the twins tugged on my arms I had to bite down a scream, and when my wonderful step mother threw my backpack at my chest I just about fainted.

I had to beg my father for the keys to his car, because there was no way I would be able to walk to school. I opened the door to leave, but instead I found Percy Jackson on my door step. I raised an eyebrow at him. He just smirked.

"What are you doing here?"

"Figured you'd need a ride, considering the whole fractured ribs thing you've got going on." He said.

Just then, Susan, my step mother walked by. She stopped mid-stride when she saw Percy standing in the entryway. She came to stand behind me.

"Annabeth, who's this?" She said in a motherly tone. I rolled my eyes at her, and her fake attitude.

"No one, Susan." I replied curtly.

"No one? Now Annabeth is that any way to treat your sav-"

"This is Percy Jackson," I said, interrupting Percy before he could finish his sentence. He gave me a questioning look, but must have let it go because he said nothing. Susan couldn't know about what happened last night, because she would tell my father.

"Annabeth, it's rude to interrupt people." Susan reprimanded. "It's nice to meet you Percy. Are you taking Annabeth to school?"

I said no at the same time Percy said yes.

"Well, it looks like you two have a little bit of discussing to do. Oh, and just as a reminder you have to pick up the twins today. Then, I need you to come home and do chores, since you were gone all last night." Susan told me as she walked off.

I pursed my lips in annoyance at her fleeting form. I turned back to Percy who seemed to be waiting patiently at the door.

"So, are you coming or what?" He asked.

"What are you talking about?" I said.

"I'm talking about taking you to school." He said sounding exasperated.

"Why would you do that?"

He sighed deeply. "Because I figured you couldn't walk, and you'd be safer with me anyway."

"I have my dad's car keys." I said pushing past him. I started walking to my dads car, but Percy started following me down the driveway.

"Well I'm offering to take you," Percy said.

"Yes, and I'm declining." I replied.

Percy's green eyes flashed for a second. "Can you not be such a pain in the ass, for just two seconds?" He asked.

"Excuse me? I didn't ask for you to show up on my doorstep!" I yelled at him.

"No, you didn't but I thought I would do something nice, since I knew you wouldn't be able to walk to school!" He screamed back at me.

"I don't need your pity or your help!" I cried.

He looked taken aback for a second, and his tense shoulders relaxed.

"You're kidding right? That's what this is about, your pride? Come on Annabeth, I'm just trying to prove to you that you can trust me." He said in a calm voice.

I sighed. Maybe I was over reacting. I was just tired of feeling helpless. Truth be told, I was excited I would get to drive to school. I could be alone, and do something by myself. Yesterday I felt so weak, and I hated it. I liked doing things on my own, to be in control of certain things.

"I'm sorry, Okay. I just don't like people doing things for me. I appreciate what you are trying to do though." I said, finally.

He nodded. "So can I drive you to school, or are you going to bite my head off again?"

"Yeah," I conceded.

I started walking to his car while putting my dad's car keys into my backpack. He opened the door for me, which surprised me. It was so...gentlemen-like.

"Thanks," I said, trying to mask the surprise in my voice.

I slipped into the car in an awkward angle, so as not to bend my torso. School was going to be loads of fun, sitting in hard wooden desks all day long.

Percy took off down the street. I told him a back way to Goode High School. We sat in silence for a couple of minutes listening to his god-awful music. I kept my mouth shut about the music though, because yesterday we practically died fighting over it.

"So, what was up with you back at the house; when you interrupted me?" Percy inquired, while staring ahead at the road.

"I didn't tell my family what happened." I replied.

Percy snapped his head back to look at me. He gave me a "you can't be serious", kind of look.

"Why would you not tell your parents?"  
"Because, I was tired of talking about it," was all I said.

"So, you're just not going to them? Because you don't feel like telling them? I mean, they have to know." He said.

"You don't get it, you don't know my family. It wouldn't make a difference if they knew or not." I tried to explain.

"Yes, it would. They need to know. You can't be doing chores or driving for one thing. And your family should know that you're in danger, that they are in danger."

I hadn't even thought about that possibility. What if whoever attacked me came to my house. My entire family was in danger. Sure, we don't get along but I care about the twins and my Dad. Susan on the other hand, was a different story.

"Do you really think that my family could be in danger?" I asked.

"As long as you're in danger, so is everyone around you." He answered.

A sick feeling was beginning to rise up in my stomach.

Percy helped me out of his car when we got to school. We got quite a few stares too. Most people were not used to seeing Percy Jackson and I within a hundred feet of each other, let alone in the same car together.

"People are staring," I said under my breath to Percy.

He smirked. "You'll get used to it, Chase."

I just shook my head. "Well I need to find Thalia and Piper, so I'll see you later?"

"Yea, I need to take care of some stuff." Percy said vaguely.

"Sounds cryptic. Is it official Half-Blood business?" I said in mocking professional voice.

"Yes." Percy said dryly. He didn't look amused. If we were to be hanging around each other more, he better get used to my humor.

I squared my shoulders and stood up straight as I walked into Goode High School. If I stood up straight, walking wasn't completely unbarable. I made my way to my locker where found Thalia and Piper talking. I walked over to them.

"Yeah, my dad even took me to this really amazing restaurant for lunch." I heard Piper say, she must have been recounting her day with her father.

"Hey," I said to both of the girls.

"Annabeth! I was just telling Thalia about my day off yesterday." Piper said sounding extremely chipper.

"Yea, she was. Now, how about you tell us about your day off yesterday," Thalia said with a hint of accusation in her voice.

"I was sick," I said.

I had decided that I wasn't going to tell anyone. I didn't want anyone worrying about me. Percy and Nico were the only ones that had to know.

"You were? Because you sounded really weird on the phone the other night." Piper questioned.

"Yeah, that's why I didn't call you. I was really sick, up all night puking my guts out." I was hoping the more disgusting and graphic I made my story, the less questions they would ask.

"Oh, you poor thing." Piper said.

Thalia raised up to fingers and made a cross with them. "Stay away! I do not want your germs!"

"Thank you for the concern, Thalia." I said sarcastically. "But, I'm not contagious. I feel fine now. It must have been one of those twenty-four hour things."  
"Okay, I understand the whole sick thing, but why did you cut your hair?" Thalia asked.

I had almost forgotten about my hair. I had always told Piper and Thalia that I had hated bangs. I had them when I was four, I never looked good in them.

"I decided I needed a change. A new me." I lied.

"You hate bangs, though." Piper said.

"Right, I do." I scrambled to come up with something. "I told my family that I wanted to get a haircut. My twin brothers felt bad for me when I was sick, so they thought cutting my hair in my sleep would make me feel better. They cut so much off the front, I had to get bangs."

I lied so smoothly, it scared me just a little.

Thalia and Piper both bursted out laughing.

"I can not believe your brothers would do that! You must have killed them!" Piper said through her laughter.

"Trust me I wanted to, but they did it to make me feel better."

"That is kind of sweet, I guess." Piper offered.

"Oh god, incoming." Thalia said. She was reffering to something behind me.

I was about to turn around until someone was kind enough to do it for me. I was whipped around by the shoulder to be face to face with Drew Tanaka. I tried to keep my face neutral so no one would see the pain that was thundering inside me.

"What the hell are you doing riding to school with my boyfriend?" She squealed in my face.

Oh god… this was about Percy. I really did not want to deal with this right now.

"Calm down Drew, Percy just gave me a lift to school, it was no big deal." I said cooly.

"No big deal? No big deal? I don't want you anywhere near my boyfriend!"

This was ridiculous.

"Drew, he's not even your boyfriend. You're just some sad, lonely girl who waits by the phone at night in hopes of getting some pathetic booty call from him." I said.

I could see something literally unhinge in her expression. I had never seen Drew Tanaka that angry. Apparently I struck a pretty sore nerve. If looks could kill, I would have been dead.

Before I had time to react she lunged for me. She knocked me too the ground. I cried out pain, and tears were starting to well up in my eyes. I blinked back the tears and tried to push her off of me, but she was a lot heavier than she looked.

"Oh my god Drew, what have you been eating?" I probably shouldn't have been baiting her on. It probably wasn't the best idea in my position, but it was kind of funny hearing her wail. She started to claw at my face. I grabbed her wrists and kept them away from me.

To my relief the pressure on my torso was ripped away quickly when someone lifted Drew off of me. I could hear her screaming, trying to come back at me. I couldn't even move, the pain was insufferable.

Someone grabbed my shoulders and slowly helped me up. My eyes locked with bluest eyes I had ever seen. It was Luke Castellan, the Titan's gang leader. I had only ever talked to him a few times. To be honest I had a slight crush on him. He was gorgeous and he had that whole bad-boy vibe, it was hard to resist.

He smiled at me and said, "Hey, are you okay?"

I nodded.

"Does anything hurt?"

I shook my head no, even though everything hurt.

"Can you talk?" He joked.

I laughed and said yes.

I hadn't noticed the crowd that had built around us, until I saw someone trying to break through it. Percy emerged from the wall of people and he looked angry.

"Get your hand off of her." Percy demanded.

Luke just rolled his eyes.

"Since when are you so protective of her?" Luke asked.

"She is my friend, and I don't trust you. So, I want you to get your hands off of her." Percy said in a dangerously low voice.

Percy and Luke just glowered at each other for what seemed like a good, solid minute until finally Luke let go of my shoulder. He held up his hands in mock surrender. He began to leave.

"I'll see you later, Jackson." Luke said as he bumped shoulders with Percy.

I saw Percy's jaw clench, and I think it took a lot for him to not knock out one of Luke's teeth.

"Oh, and I'll see you around, Annabeth." He said to me with a wink.

Luke had never taken any interest in me before until today. Percy had talked about the Titan's being a possible suspect in my attack, but there was no way these two incidents were related. I mean, it wouldn't make sense, Luke was helping me this time.

"Okay, does someone want to explain to me what just happened?" Thalia asked.

Percy

The day had not started out well, first my fight with Annabeth, breaking the news to the Half-Bloods about the Titans, and then my run in with Luke. That guy just rubbed me the wrong way. Something weird was happening between him and Annabeth. He had never taken any interest in her before, so why start now? The incident only further enhanced my feelings that the Titan's had something to do with Annabeth's attack, I just had to figure out a way to prove it.

I was walking to the bathroom, and I just made it into one of the stalls, when I heard someone walk in. There were two guys, and I recognized both of the voices. One was Luke and the other was Jason Grace. Jason Grace was my cousin, but he also happened to be Luke's right-hand man. Don't ask me how that happened, because I have no idea.

I quickly crawled on one of the toilet seats, so the guys wouldn't be able to see my feet underneath the stall, in case they were looking

"I got word from Kronos yesterday that it's the Titan's job to make sure Annabeth Chase stays safe, understood?" Luke said.

"Why? What does she have to do with anything?" Jason asked.

"That's classified information, my friend. Just make sure all of the Titan's hear about it. If someone so much as touches a hair on that girl's head, there will be hell to pay. Is that clear?" Luke explain.

"Crystal." Jason confirmed.

I heard what sounded like someone being clapped on the back. I heard footsteps leaving soon after the conversation ended.

What in the hell was going on? Why would the Titans want to protect Annabeth? She had nothing to do with them, or did she? Had she been hiding something from me this whole time?

The Titans couldn't have been the ones that attacked her, if they were protecting her. If I didn't say anything, and she didn't say anything, then how did they even find out about the attack? Unless they some how knew who attacked her.

There were a thousand different facts racing around in my mind. Each fact was like a puzzle piece, it was too bad none of them fit together. I was going to get to the bottom of this, it was just take a little digging.


	6. New friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth and Percy finally clear the air.

Annabeth

My day back to school went by excruciatingly slowly. It didn't help that everyone kept staring at me. At first, I was worried that they saw the bruises that ran all across my body, but it turns out that when Drew Tanaka attacks you, it's big news. That day I got more attention than I had ever gotten in my entire three years at Goode High School. I wasn't really sure I liked it, either. Thalia certainly didn't. If someone couldn't get any answers from me, they went to my best friends. Thalia even made a sophomore cry when they asked her why I had come to school with Percy.

I guess we were just weren't made for attention. Some people thrived on attention, like Drew Tanaka or even Percy. Without attention they were nothing. Percy was a leader, a born leader. Without it, what would he be? Or what if Drew Tanaka wasn't popular? She would have nothing. She wasn't smart and she wasn't creative, to be blunt. I suppose popularity could be considered a talent, though. It seemed like it took a lot of work to be on top of the social hierarchy. I was all too happy safely snuggled in the middle of the popularity totem pole.

Piper and I had just walked out of seventh period when someone grabbed me by the arm, rather roughly might I add. Percy stopped me in the middle of the hallway. Piper scrunched up her eyebrows and gave me a questioning look. I still hadn't really come up with a way to explain Percy and I's new-found friendship.

"I need to talk to you," He said under his breath. The stern look on his face led me to presume it wasn't about anything particularly cheery.

"Um, Piper I'll catch up with you later," I said.

She didn't seem to be paying any attention to me, though. She was staring at something behind me. She had this weird look on her face. I turned to look behind me, but she stopped me before I could see who she had looked at. It was my turn to give her a questioning look.  
"What were you just look-" She interrupted me before I could finish my question.

"Yeah, I'll see you later," Piper said all too dismissively. She walked off swiftly.

That was weird, I thought.

"C'mon." Percy said with urgency.

This was weird too. Everything was just so weird lately. I was positive I didn't like it. Everything was changing, and it seemed I had no control over anything.

Percy led me to an old, empty classroom. He shut the door behind us.

"Alright, you need to start giving me answers here," Percy said. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he spoke rather gruffly. Everything about his demeanor lacked warmth and friendliness.

"Answers? What answers?" I asked confused.

"How about why the hell the Titan's want to protect you, or even how they know you need the protection?" He said it as more of an accusation than a question.

"What are you talking about?" I said, slightly taken aback.

"I heard Luke talking, he's making all the Titan's watch out for you. He knows you were attacked and he got orders from Kronos to make sure you stay safe."

I pursed my lips, and shook my head lightly.

"Percy, that doesn't make any sense. I've barely ever talked to Luke, and I've certainly never met Kronos. I have nothing to do with the Titans. I have no idea why they would want to protect me."

Percy clenched his jaw. The classroom was dark except for the sunlight that streamed through the window. A shadow was cast along his face making his normally beautiful features look menacing. His green eyes no longer retained any aura of playfulness. His entire presence made me want to take a step back, but I willed my feet to stay put.

"I've tried to help you Annabeth, but if you're lying to me, I need to know now." His voice was calm, but it was that chilling sort of calm that sent shivers down your back.

"You're kidding right? You give me this whole lecture about how I need to trust you, but you don't even trust me." I huffed.

Some of the anger left his face, but now I was angry. I was furious, actually. I had told Percy a thousand times I had no idea what had happened to me, and yet he still thought that I was lying.

"Annabeth look-"

"No, you listen Percy. You have preached to me about trust this entire time, when it turns out you don't even trust me. Well, I don't need your help. I can figure out what happened to me. Alone."

"Annabeth, I'm sorry, okay." Percy said sounding exhausted.

"No, not okay. This whole teamwork thing between us," I gestured back and forth between Percy and I. "It would never work. It isn't working now. All we end up doing is fighting, and not to mention that we second guess each other at every turn."

Percy shook his head, and sneered.

"You are not even giving this a chance. You never wanted my help in the first place. You are so damn stubborn in your own ways that the second I question you, you get scared and run." He said a matter-of-factly.

"That is not true! I just don't appreciate being accused of lying and fighting constantly." I reasoned.

"Might I remind you who has started every fight. Oh, that's right, you!" He hissed at me. "You are so hell-bent on being right all the time, you can't see what is right in front of you."

"Oh yeah, and what is that, Dr. Phil?" I said with malice seeping through every syllable.

"I am trying to help you, do you understand that? I am offering to help find whoever hurt you. You just can't see that, because you are too busy looking for a way out. You're scared and confused, and me questioning you is only making you more uncomfortable. You like feeling secure and safe, so you're trying to push me away." He said hotly

I was at a loss for words. I mean, what was I suppose to say to that? Percy seemed to have me all figured out, and we had barely spent 24 hours together. My lips started to move but no words would come. It felt as if I was choking on my voice. Suddenly that small classroom got a thousand times smaller. So small, that it felt like I couldn't breathe.

"I need to get out of here," was all i could seem to muster.

I backed up and started to run. I ran out the door, and into the now empty halls. School had been over for about fifteen minutes, but it felt like a century. Having your entire personality picked apart by someone you barely knew was overwhelming. I ran down the halls, and out of that school, away from Percy Jackson and his big mouth.

I then realized that I had no car. I had to walk home, alone. It wouldn't be my first choice, considering the pain and the fear factors weighing down on me. I would have to hurry though, because I had to pick up the twins from school in an hour. Hopefully someone's car would be back at the house.

I had made it halfway home when I noticed a car following me. At first I had just assumed it was Percy. A very tiny, girlish part of me had hoped Percy had come after me. A very, very small part. Unfortunately for me though, it was a black SUV, that I did not recognize.

I reached for my phone, when I realized, once again I didn't have it. Piper still had it. I really hated myself in that moment. I didn't have to time to think, I just ran. I could make it back to my house. Or even if I just made it to my neighborhood. If I went running and screaming down my street, surely that would grab someone's attention. At least I hoped it would.

Pain seized up in my chest and it felt as though I was being strangled from the inside out. My ribs. My stupid, fractured ribs. The pain was excruciating, but it would be nothing compared to what would happen if whoever was in that SUV caught up to me.

I stole a glance behind me. Which in my case, was a very bad idea. The SUV had picked up speed and was racing up behind me. I took a deep breath, which was honestly shallow at best, and willed my legs to push harder.

I wasn't moving very fast. I was in too much pain, I could barely walk, let alone run. I was no match for the speeding car. The SUV caught up to me quickly. I was out of options. I could scream. I suppose there was the possibility someone would hear me. This was New York city after all, people were on every street corner. I just had to hope someone would be kind enough to help me, if they heard my scream.

The car stopped next to me. I readied myself. I would not let anyone hurt me, not again.

The car windows were tinted, like one of those cop show cars. The window rolled down slowly, and I opened my mouth to scream, but it died in my throat.

"Luke?" I said astonished. I wasn't sure whether I should be relieved, or not. Then I remembered what Percy had said. Luke was protecting me. You would think that would make me feel safe, but the uneasiness wrestling in my stomach wasn't going away.

"Hey, Annabeth. Do you need a ride?" He asked.

He had an easy smile on his face. He spoke so openly, as if we were the best of friends.

"Were you following me?" I decided to asked, instead of answering his question.

Luke's eyebrows shot up.

"Of course not, I just saw you walking and thought maybe you would want a ride." He said nonchalantly.

There was something strange in the way he was looking at me. It was almost as if he was assessing me, constantly looking me over. At first it brought a blush to my cheeks, but then I realized what he was looking at, or rather looking for. He was looking for signs of an attack. It was only for a second, and if I hadn't been looking for it I never would have seen it, but I saw a flash of confusion cross his blue eyes.

"I covered them with make up, the bruises I mean." I said coolly.

Shock fell upon his features, but he recovered quickly. He clenched his jaw, In what could have only been an attempt to keep his emotions in check.

"Annabeth, what are you talking about. Did something happen? Are you okay?" He said with a very convincing amount of concern.

"You would know wouldn't you, Luke. I mean you are the one who's suppose to be protecting me, right?"

Luke laughed slightly to himself.

"I heard you were smart, but I had no idea how smart." he said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes and began to walk home, again. I didn't need any protection, I would be fine on my own.

"Hey, whoa! C'mon, just get in the car. I'll take you home." Luke said.

If I was being honest, I didn't have the energy to walk home. I was also just a bit uncomfortable walking home alone, but that didn't mean I needed protection.

I sighed, "Fine."

I walked back over to the black SUV and climbed in, careful of my ribs. Once I was in my seat and buckled Luke took off.

"Wait, don't you need to know my address?" I asked, confused.

Luke cracked a smile, "Part of my job as 'protector', is that I know where you live." He took one of his hands off of the steering wheel to make air quotes.

I wasn't sure how I felt about that. If Luke knew little things like my address, than what else did he know about me. How did he even find out those things about me? I squirmed in my seat, feeling uneasy.

"Hey, it's not like I'm stalking you. It's only for your protection." He said. I guess it was to reassure me, but it didn't exactly work.

"Why are you protecting me anyway?" I asked.

The question had been swirling in my head for a while, and I just had to know why. Luke might even known who attacked me.

He looked over at me, and gave me a look of perplexment.

"You don't know why the Titans are protecting you? Then how did you even find out about it?"

"I overheard you talking," I lied. I decided not to involve Percy. Luke and him didn't get along, and I'm sure Luke wouldn't be too happy to know Percy was eavesdropping on him.

"Ah, me and my big mouth, huh?" he said unperturbed.

"Yeah, so are you going to answer my question?" I asked insistently.

"Man, I had no idea you were so pushy," he said with a goofy smile.

I had always imagined Luke Castellan to be gruff and callous, but he was strangely amiable. His attitude was light compared Percy's endless moodiness.

"Luke, please?"

Luke sighed, but spoke. "Look Annabeth, I can't tell you anything you don't already know. Kronos instructed the Titans to keep you safe."

By then we had pulled into my driveway. I know Luke expected me to get out of the car, but I remained in my seat. I wasn't leaving until I got the answers I wanted.

"You don't know why Kronos wants to protect me?" I asked.

Luke ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair. He seemed frustrated. Almost like he was hiding something.

"When you are in my line of business Annabeth, you learn not to ask questions." I knew he was lying, I could see it in his eyes. He was also avoiding the question. Luke knew more than he was letting on.

"Don't lie to me, Luke. If you really are suppose to be keeping me safe, don't you think I have a right to know the truth." I reasoned.

Luke was silent for a few seconds, probably mulling over my statement.

"You don't understand, I can't tell you. I can't tell you why Kronos wants to protect you or who attacked you, I can't tell you anything."  
A soft gasp escaped my lips.

"You know who attacked me?"

Luke grimaced, "Yes, I do."

"I have to know who came after me, Luke. I have to know why, that's the only way I'm going to be safe." I tried to persuade.

"No, you don't. As long as the Titan's are around, you don't have to know any of that stuff. We'll be there to keep you safe, and that's all you need to know." Luke said sternly.

I absent mindedly gnawed at my lip. Being kept in the dark was making me nervous. Maybe Percy was right, I did need to be in control. Great, now I was going to have to apologize to him. Why did he have to be right?

"I just don't understand why you can't tell me."

"All I can say is, is that if I told you who attacked you, or why Kronos wants you protected, it would open up a whole can of worms. Trust me Annabeth, this is a can you don't want open." He said.

"That is not your call to make, it's mine. I have a right to know the truth." I argued.

"The only time I will ever tell you the truth, is when your life depends on it, and now that' just not the case."

I shook my head with my lips pursed. Luke knew the truth about everything and still wouldn't tell me. It was my life, I deserved to know the truth.

"Whatever, thanks for the ride." I said sarcastically.

I turned and got out of the car and ran inside my house. How did my life get so complicated, what did I do that would make Kronos want to protect me? I racked my brain for something, anything and came up blank. It couldn't have been anything I'd done. Then an idea popped into my head. What if it wasn't something I had done, what if it was something someone else had done. Maybe someone dragged into this without me even knowing it, but who would do that?

Percy

After Annabeth left me in that stuffy classroom, I was at a sort of at a loss at what to do next. I may have gone a little hard on her. I felt better though, more free. It felt like everything was out in the open between us. I wasn't going to go after her this time, she would have to come to me. If she came to me, then I knew she could trust me.

I decided I should go to the auto body shop because it would give me a chance to explain everything to the Half-Bloods about what the Titans had planned. I had tried to explain it that morning, but I don't think they really understood the threat.

I also needed to talk to my father. I suppose he already knew the threat we were facing, but it was strange that he hadn't spoken any further about it, unless maybe he didn't know.

I got to the auto shop about an hour after school let out, and almost all the Half-Bloods were there. For us, that shop was our sanctuary. As soon as I walked in I went to find Nico. He was in the back working on a vintage car that a customer had brought in a few weeks ago. He was working under the hood, so when I slapped him on the back and said, "Hey, man." He jumped and slammed his head into the hood of the car.

I busted out laughing while Nico groaned into the engine of the car. He slowly pulled his head out from underneath the hood. His face was splotched with black grease spots like a dalmation. He tried to wipe the grease off his face, but instead he replaced the spots with smear marks across his cheeks.

"You are a moron, Nico." I said matter-of-factly.

"I prefer socially inept." He said with a goofy grin on his face.

I shook my head slightly, "Of course, you do. Anyway, I need you to round-up all the Half-Bloods. We are having a meeting in fifteen."

"Aye-aye, captain." He saluted.

A heavy sigh left me, sometimes I truly worried about Nico.

I stood face to face with about one hundred members of the Half-Bloods, their expectant faces staring back at me. I cleared my throat before I spoke. There really was no easy way to tell someone that they were about to go to war.

"There comes a time in every man's life when he must make a choice. For now, at least for me anyway, is that time. The Titans have declared war on us."

A grumble of low voices blanketed over the crowd.

"They don't stand a chance against us," Grover, one of my highest ranking members said.

His statement was met with one hundred hardy cheers.

"They do, actually. There numbers are growing and they now have the resources to support a war. This is serious. Now, it is your choice if you are going to sit back and let the Titans take away our city."

Growls tore through the room.

"Or are we going to fight to keep what is rightfully ours, what has always been ours?"

The crowd resounded with cries of yes. It was then that it was made official, we were at war with the Titans.

"Alright, so we fight. But what is our next move?" Beckendorf asked over the shouts.

I clenched my jaw. That was the problem with making big speeches, a plan was usually supposed to come after. Without my fathers help though, I had no idea of the extent of his abilities. I had to know how he could help us before I could come up with a battle strategy.

"Nothing, yet. I have to discuss with Poseidon what the Half-Bloods next move is."

"Who says he's even going to help us?" A newer member from the back said.

"Poseidon created the Half-Bloods when he was our age. He uses us now to help with 'business', he needs us. He's worked years to build up the street credit we have now. My father would never let anything happen to the Half-Bloods, trust me on that."

"Fine. But what are we suppose to do until then? Just stand around and wait to get attacked?" Will Solace, asked.

"No, we will all be on guard, always, but we are not going to attack. If I find out that any of you incited any sort of violence between the Titan's and us, you will have me to deal with." I said.

I didn't need any unnecessary brutality between the Titans and the Half-bloods. There would be enough of that to come. Now was the time for planning. A storm was coming and preparation was the key.

"Be prepared, this will be no regular fight. This will be a war, with real casualties."

It was almost nine o'clock at night, everyone had finally left the shop, and I was about to, also when someone knocked on the front door. I strode over quickly, slightly irritated. Who comes to a car repair shop at nine o'clock at night? I swung the door open.

"Sorry, we are clo-" I stopped mid-sentence when I realized it was Annabeth who was standing outside.

"Hey," She said sheepishly. It was strange how perfectly normal she looked, no one would ever guess that just two days ago she was brutally beaten. I could see it though, not on her body, but in her eyes. She carried that attack with her everywhere she went. It was brewing in the depths of her stormy grey irises. There was a sadness and a mistrust in them that most seventeen year old girls could never possess.

I cleared my throat. "Um, hey." Yeah, I was smooth.

"I went over to your apartment, but your mom said you were here. Do you mind if I come in?" She asked.

I moved out of the way of her, and gestured for her to come in. She found a seat at one of the ratty old couches in the lobby.

"I'm not very good at apologies, just to let you know, but here it goes. You were right, I was scared. I am scared. You have no idea how helpless I feel, and I how much I hate feeling this way. See, when my mom got sick it was all I ever felt, helpless I mean. She had cancer and there was nothing I could ever do. I had to sit back and watch the person I loved most just wither away."

I could see her struggle to keep the tears in her eyes from spilling down her cheeks. Her hands trembled like her voice as she continued to speak.

"After what happened to my mom, I stopped really trusting people. Trusting people meant that I was giving a small part of myself to someone. I was giving someone the chance to hurt me, and that terrifies me, and it makes me feel helpless all over again. I'm sorry that I'm always fighting you, that I'm always looking for a way out. Maybe it's because I know that if I stopped fighting you, I could really start to care about you. I think you and me could be really good friends."

I had expected an apology, but what I got instead was a glimpse into the mind of Annabeth Chase. I felt guilty, like I didn't really deserve to know those things about her, that I had pushed her to tell me. It was easy to get angry at the Annabeth I thought I knew, the Annabeth who had a perfect life. This Annabeth was much harder to resent, the slightly broken, less than perfect version. I realized then that it wasn't the attack that had brought us together, it was that night when I talked to her in my bedroom. That was a glimpse of the real Annabeth, not the one I thought I knew. That was why I felt the need to help her, it was like she said I knew that we could be real friends, that I could truly care for her.

"I know we could be really good friends, Annabeth."

I could see the walls built up around her tumble down, leaving the real Annabeth in its wake. The Annabeth who was scared and full of insecurities. She smiled a little.

"Maybe we already are."


	7. Cotton Candy, Anyone?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth devises a plan and Percy doesn't like it.

Annabeth

I had woken up the next morning after apologizing to Percy feeling different, lighter, I guess you could say. I hadn't opened up to anyone the way I had opened up to Percy in a long time. It felt kind of amazing. It was also pretty terrifying. I was giving Percy the chance to hurt me, but somehow I knew he wouldn't, that he couldn't hurt me. After all, he was doing everything he could to protect me, but so were the Titans.

I should be grateful that the Titans were always on the look out for me, but I wasn't. They were withholding vital information, things I deserved to know. I had tried to get the truth out of Luke about a hundred times and he wouldn't budge. I had to come up with a more calculated plan, one that hopefully didn't involve more begging.

Percy drove me to school that morning, and the next morning, and the next, and so forth for the next couple of weeks. Percy and I were starting to get into a routine. He would pick me up from school each morning and I would complain about the music until he would finally let me change the station. We'd get to school and Nico would be waiting for us in the parking lot. It was adorable how much Nico looked up to Percy.

Usually, Percy would go and hang out with his friends in the morning, and I would talk to Piper and Thalia. Percy always made sure to walk to third period with me, because that was the class I had with Luke. Percy hated Luke, and vice-versa. I don't know if Percy walked with me because he wanted to keep Luke away from me, or he wanted to prove something to Luke, like that he was always around.

It had been a couple of weeks since the attack and I was no longer constantly looking over my shoulder. The nightmares still came every night, each one more painful and frustrating than the next. I still hadn't told anyone about the attack, and there really was no point anymore. The bruising and swelling was gone, and the cut on my forehead had turned a pink, fleshy scar. Nico wanted to see the scar and when I showed it to him he called it "freakin' awesome." Yeah, it was freakin' awesome. Not. I would either have to have bangs for the rest of my life, or constantly be covering it up with make up. Even with make up you could still see a silver line of a scar across my forehead.

When Percy saw it, his reaction was a little different. He had looked like he was caught between either punching a wall or throwing up. I didn't really understand his anger and when I asked him about it all he said was "that it should never have happened." Percy had vague and mysterious down to a T.

I could only assume Percy felt guilty for not being there earlier the night of my attack. I could see it in his eyes, it was a flash of something dark and unsettling. The flash usually came when I would accidentally hit my rib or when my scarf would fall too low and you could see the impressions of fingertips bruised on my neck. Percy thought that if he gotten there just a bit earlier he could have stopped those guys, or at least seen what they looked like. I thought it was ridiculous. No one could have stopped what happened to me. All that mattered was that in the end, he had saved my life.

I had been walking out of third period when I heard my name called over the roar of students passing in the hall. I turned around and stopped, it was Luke who had caught up to me. He had an easy smile on his face, like always. He smiled as if he wasn't a part of a vicious New York gang.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" He asked.

"I don't know, are you ready to tell me who almost killed me?" I asked.

He pursed his lips and gave me his perfect blue-eyed, puppy dog face.

"Annabeth, you know I can't."

"Well, I guess that means that we have nothing to say to each other."

I turned on the heals of my feet and started to leave.

"Wait, let me make it up to you." Luke called from behind.

I turned around slowly and gave him an inquisitive look.

"How?" I asked.

"Let me take you out. On a date." Now he had a wide smile on his face, with each pearly white tooth staring back at me.

I was angry. How dare he ask me out on a date. He thought he was so special that taking me out was an appropriate way to repay me for lying to me. I was about to tell him to stick it where the sun doesn't shine, when I had a tiny epiphany. This was my chance. If I could get close to Luke, then maybe he would tell me the truth. I didn't know which was worse, groveling to Luke or dating him.

"Alright, I'll go on a date with you," I said, adorned with my sweetest smile.

"Great! How about tonight, there is a fair downtown, it will be fun."

"Sure, sounds lovely." I did my best, but I couldn't stop the sarcasm that flowed into my voice.

"I'll pick you up at eight, then." He smiled at me one last time, and before I could move away, he kissed me on the cheek.

It was a good thing that Luke had walked away, because there was no way I could have hidden the repulsion that flashed across my face. I stood there in the middle of the hallway for a second contemplating what I had just done. What was I doing? Selling myself out in the hopes of gaining new information.

I had changed over the course of the last few weeks, and I wasn't sure I liked it. This entire mess was only going to get worse, I had to wonder what it would do to me. What I would be willing to do to get what I wanted? It also made me wonder If I was a bad person. If wasn't sure of my limits or even if I had any, how would I know if I'd gone too far. And isn't that the pure definition of a bad person, someone who had no limits, someone who would do anything to get what they wanted. I didn't think that was me, at least not yet anyway.

"What the hell was that?" Percy growled at me. He seemed to pop out of no where, interrupting my thoughts. He looked angry, really angry. I had been around Percy enough the past few weeks to know when he was mad. His emerald eyes would darken and there was this tiny purple vein on the side of his temple that bulged. And trust me Percy got angry. A lot.

"What?" I had been so lost in thought I didn't fully comprehend his pure ire.

"Why did Luke Castellan just kiss you, and why would you let him?"

Percy was tall and he loomed over me like a menacing, dark angel of wrath. Most people would shrink away from him, and I probably would have too, if I didn't know him. I had seen Percy get like this a few times, once when he was at the shop and he got some particularly upsetting news from his father and another time, with me. When we were in that classroom only two weeks ago, which now felt like a lifetime ago. Maybe it was. It seemed I had two lives now, one from before my attack, and one from after.

Those lives were completely different from one another and they seemed to never want to cross each other again, to meet a middle ground. I hated it. Not only did that attack take away my peace of mind, but it took away my life. My sense of normalcy was gone and I was left to deal with two warring gangs. Before, all I wanted to do was go to Columbia, maybe impress my dad and make my mom proud, now it felt like a struggle to get out of bed, to walk down the street, to breathe without some secret weighing down on me.

I looked straight into Percy's eyes, which was a dangerous thing to do. They were so easy to get lost in and to forget everything you were about to say.

"He asked me on a date, and I accepted." I said simply.

Percy clicked his tongue and let a smile creep on to his face that more resembled a snarl.

"That's just great Annabeth, while I'm planning a war, you're going out and partying it up with enemy!"

"First of all I'm not even a part if this 'war'. Second, I am not doing this for fun. I am doing it to get information out of Luke." I informed.

"Annabeth, you aren't going to get anything out of him. I've tried, you've tried. Batting your eyelashes at him isn't all of a sudden, going to make him talk. You know the only reason he's doing this is to get back at me. He's trying to make me angry."

"So you're saying that the only way that he would want to go on a date with me is to get back at you. Gee, thanks Percy."

It hurt a little, to think that the only reason Luke would ask me out is for this stupid war. It hurt even worse that Percy thought that could be the only reason.

"Annabeth, you know that's not what I meant." Percy said.

"Then what did you mean?"

He looked stuck, like he was trying to contemplate his next words. A burn rose in my chest at the sight of him. He was trying to find the right words, words that would hurt me the least. I didn't exactly want to stick around to hear them.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." I turned around and walked into the lunch room and away from him.

I had just sat down with Thalia and Piper, when Percy plopped down right in front of me.

"Annabeth, I'm sorry. Of course it's possible that Luke could like you, I mean who wouldn't? I just want you to be careful, he's dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt."

His eyes were back to their normal light green, and his face had softened. My heart jumped a little into my throat. Percy was always protective, but not like this. Not the sweet kind of protective. It made me see Percy in a whole new light. Which I really should not have done. A joking, sarcastic Percy was one thing, but a thoughtful, affectionate Percy was risky.

In my peripheral vision I could see Thalia and Piper exchange looks. They had asked me how Percy and I had gotten to be such fast friends when we had never gotten along before. I told them that I had tutored him for a while and eventually we became friends. I don't know if they really bought it, but they never questioned me about it. They would just trade-off looks with each other that just said 'what the heck is going on?'.

"It's okay, Percy, but I don't need you to protect me. I'm a big girl, I'll be fine." I told him.

"Alright, as much as I love the drama and the sexual tension both of you are oozing, I'd like to the know the context of this little debacle." Thalia interjected.

Piper elbowed Thalia in the ribs and my face turned red. Percy however, seemed completely unfazed by her comment.

"Ouch Piper! There is no need to hit me for saying exactly what we were both thinking. Well?"

Thalia looked to us expectantly with a thin black eyebrow raised.

"Luke Castellan asked Annabeth on a date." Percy said in a clipped tone.

Piper and Thalia's heads snapped back to look at me.

"Seriously? Annabeth, you've had a crush on that guy for years!" Piper said, animatedly.

I did my best to avoid eye contact with Percy because I knew he was giving me a look, and I didn't want to have to try and figure out what it meant. Percy and I had a good relationship going for the past few weeks and I didn't want that to change. Him and I were a team now. A good team and I didn't want it to get messed up by these new feelings churning inside of me.

"Yeah, it's great." I said without much enthusiasm.

"And, how do you feel about this date, baby cousin?" Thalia asked.

He looked at Thalia and gave her a winning smile. "Oh, I think it's just dandy."

...

"No way! Absolutely not! You are not going to chaperone my date!" I screeched.

Percy had been driving me home from school when he had started to interrogate me on my date, once again.

"I think you misunderstood, I wasn't asking you for permission. I was just telling you what I was planning on doing. You know, out of common courtesy."

I huffed in frustration. "You know sometimes you are such a sarcastic asshole. Isn't he a sarcastic asshole, Nico?"

Nico sat in the back of the car. He never wore a seatbelt. He would always sit on the edge of his seat and lean in, so that his head would be right in between Percy and I's.

"Definitely, all the time."

Percy just rolled his eyes.

"Fine, but isn't Nancy Drew here, just a little in over her head, Nico?" Percy asked.

"Oh, for sure." Nico agreed.

"Nico, you can't just agree with everything we say, you have to pick a side." I rationalized.

"What if you're both right, and you're both too stubborn to admit it."

Percy and I shared glances. Nico was probably right, but that wasn't exactly what we wanted to hear.

"Well, who asked you anyway," I said, slightly irritated.

"Yeah, this is none of your business, Nico." Percy reiterated.

"You two have got to be kidding me." Nico deadpanned.

....  
Percy

"Honey, what are you doing?" My mother asked. I could see her through the mirror in front of me. She came up from behind me, her head peeked over my shoulder.

"Just fixing my hair."

She smiled a little. "Since when do you fix your hair?"

My thick eyebrows turned down together with my lips, creating a confused frown on my face. It was true, I had never really given much thought to how I looked. I mean, why should I? They had worked pretty well for me for the past seventeen years.

"I don't know, maybe I just need a change."

"Hmm," she murmured. "You've done a lot of that lately. Changing, I mean."

I didn't know what she was talking about, I looked the same as I always did. Sure, I tried to fix my hair, but to no avail. It seemed pretty damn stubborn to remain shaggy and disarrayed.

"Mom, it's just hair."

She laughed lightly. It was nice to see my mother so joyous. She had been dating this guy, Paul Blofis for the past few months, and she always had a smile on her face. I hadn't seen her smile like that in a long time. After everything that happened all those years ago, with my step-father, Gabe Ugliano, it would take a lot for my mom to truly ever smile again. Those were dark days, days I never wanted to go back to, days I never wanted to think about again.

"Not just your hair, your attitude, also. You just seem happier lately."

"Mom, trust me, I'm anything but 'happy' at the moment."

The past few months have been stressful. I had to deal with a looming war between the Titans and the Half-Bloods. My father had practically gone radio silent on me and I had no idea what he was planning. The only news I had gotten from him was a note given to me by a messenger saying to delay the war as long as possible and that he was working on something. It had been hard to stop the fights that were constantly beginning between the two gangs. I had told my boys to lay low. Unfortunately, the Titans were doing the exact opposite. They took every chance they got to instigate a fight. Their leader, Luke Castellan was no exception, either.

This last stunt, asking Annabeth out on a date, it was a shot at me. Luke was done playing games. He wanted to get to me. Luke wanted this war to start now and he knew that the fastest way for that to happen, was through me, the Half-Blood's leader.

It bothered me that he thought that such a simple act would get me to start a war. What bothered me even more, was that he was right. The thought of him using Annabeth or even being near her, made me want to throw out all the promises I had made and deck him in the face. But, I knew that the second I hit him, the war would begin. We both knew it. Luke was going to do everything in his power to get under my skin and make it so that I threw the first punch.

Which probably meant that I shouldn't have been going out to 'supervise' Annabeth and Luke on their 'date'. Annabeth had said it wasn't a real date and I knew that it wasn't real for Luke, so why did I have this knot in the back of my throat when I thought about it? It was true, I had become protective of Annabeth over the past few weeks, and somehow along the way we had become great friends. Yeah, that was all it was, Luke was dangerous, and I was protective of Annabeth.

In the mirror I saw my mother frown.

"Percy, I know some things have been hard lately, but there are obviously still things in your life that make you smile, because I've seen your smile quite a bit lately."

I stared back at her through the mirror. I knew she was trying to tell me something. I just wasn't willing to listen to it. So I decided to change the subject.

"I'm going out tonight and I don't know how late I'll be, so don't wait up for me." I said, as I turned around to face her.

"You know I don't like you out at all hours of the night." My mother reminded me.

My mother hated that I took over the gang business for my father. She made that clear every time I left the house. I couldn't blame her for her reluctance to even let me leave, most of the things I did when I left was illegal and life-threatening.

"You know I don't have a choice half of the time. But, anyway tonight I'm just going to out to the fair with Annabeth. It'll be completely safe."

She sighed. "You know you could get out, I could talk to your father, he'd listen to me."

"I don't want you to talk to Poseidon, ever. He's dangerous, mom. I can handle myself. I made choices in my life, and maybe they weren't the best, but I am the one who has to deal with their repercussions. Its nothing for you to worry about." I said while placing a hand lightly on her shoulder.

"Nothing for me to worry about?" She said with a raised voice. "I have to worry that when you walk outside that door every day, that it will be the last time I ever see you. I know that you despise working for Poseidon. I don't just worry about your safety, I worry about your happiness. You are going to spend the rest of your life miserable if you don't get out of the this gang business now. You are better than this Percy. You are destined to do great things and your father is getting in the way of that." My mother ranted.

I knew she wanted what was best for me, but she didn't understand. I didn't have a choice, I had to work for my father. My father and I had made a deal years ago and if I broke that deal, there would be worse consequences than just working for my father.

Instead of arguing with my mother I chose to ignore her. "I need to leave mom, I'll see you later." I said quickly. I was out the door soon after I had given her a light peck on the cheek.

...

Night had fallen by the time I had made it to the fairgrounds. It might as well have been daylight, the neon and florescent lights made everything lively and bright. I made my way to the entrance where I saw Silena Beauregard and her boyfriend Charles Beckendorf, or as I called him Beck.

Silena saw me first and ran over to give me a quick squeeze.

"Percy, how are you? I feel like I haven't seen you in months!" She gushed.

Silena was beautiful with inky black hair that flowed all the way to her slim waist and cheek bones that movie stars would kill for. She was completely off-limits though. Beck claimed her freshman year and he's never looked back.

"I'm good Silena, I've just been busy. How have you been?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm great! Charlie finally has some time off so he took me here, to the fair!" Silena was always so upbeat and happy, it was almost hard to keep up with.

"Yeah, well if my boss would lay off a little, than maybe I could take you out more." Beck said, coming up from behind Silena.

He slapped me on the shoulder in a friendly gesture, but it ended up hurting. Beck was a big guy, all muscle. He was built like a rock.

"Wow, your boss sounds like a real dick." I said, jokingly.

I was technically Beck's boss. I ran the auto shop where he worked, and Beck was a part of the Half-Bloods. He was one of the guys I trusted most, so I usually ended up giving him a lot of the responsibilities.

"Eh, he's not all bad." He said with a smirk.

"So, how's everything going with the, you know, Titans?" Silena whispered.

"Not great," I admitted.

"Oh, that's too bad, because I just saw Luke Castellan walk into the fair with Annabeth Chase." She said.

My jaw made a clicking noise and I realized I had it clenched too tightly.

"Your Annabeth?" Beckendorf asked, confusedly.

"Yeah, Annabeth thinks she can get some information out of him." I said, not bothering to hide the disapproval in my voice.

"Man, he's dangerous. I'm surprised you even let her go." He said, shaking his head.

"Why do you think I'm here?" I said.

"Wow Percy, I had no idea you were so sweet! It's so cute how you're out here checking up on Annabeth." Silena said in a knowing voice.

I rolled my eyes, but I had a slight smile on my face.

"Look guys, I've got to run. Have fun on your date." I said.

Beck waved goodbye, while Silena just stood there with a huge smile.

It didn't take me long to find Annabeth and Luke. They were right next to the Tilt-O-Whirl. Annabeth was laughing at something Luke had said and her hand rested casually on his arm. Annabeth was convincing, I'd give her that, but a little too convincing if you asked me.

"Percy!" I turned around to see who had called my name. Drew.

Drew Tanaka was a girl I had dated freshman year. I had ended it not even a month later. Drew was clingy and self-absorbed. Sure, she was beautiful in your average beauty queen kind of way. Her hair was always perfect, make up always done, and she wore just enough clothes to be considered sexy, not slutty. Her problem was that she was clingy. We had hooked up a few times over the past few years. I should have known Drew was the type of girl who couldn't handle the 'casual sex' thing.

"Drew," I said with a sigh.

Her dark hair was down and it curled around her shoulders. She wore dark denim cut-offs and a short top that showed off her toned stomach. She looked good, as always.

"What are you doing here? This doesn't really seem like your kind of scene." She said, questioningly. She said it with a sweet voice and she let her pointer finger slide down my chest.

Involuntarily, I looked over to Annabeth. She wasn't laughing anymore, she actually looked slightly annoyed. I would be lying if I said I wasn't just a little bit happy about that.

I turned back to Drew. "What? I'm not allowed to go on a carasoul ride, while eating ten different fried candies, like everyone else?"

Drew looked behind her to where Annabeth and Luke were standing. She looked back at me and tilted her head slightly.

"Since when do you get jealous?" She asked rather harshly.

My eyebrows shut up. "What are you talking about?"

She nodded her head over to Luke and Annabeth. "You're jealous that Annabeth's here with Luke."

"I am not jealous. I'm only here to hang out and have fun." I said with a smile and my arms outstretched.

"Yeah, well the only fun I've ever seen you have is when you're drunk at some party. Everyone knows you're hooking up with Annabeth, God knows why though."

"Annabeth and I are just friends." I said.

I didn't like the idea that people were spreading rumors about Annabeth and I. I was used to people talking behind my back, but Annabeth wasn't.

"I've never seen you be 'just friends' with a girl before," Drew said.

I rolled my eyes at her. I could really only take so much of Drew Tanaka.

I looked over to Annabeth again. She looked angry, like she was yelling at Luke. I would have been completely fine with the idea of Annabeth reaming Luke a new one, until I saw him grab her arm. Annabeth tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let go. Annabeth cried out, I couldn't hear it, but I could see it in the way her face distorted and her lips moved.

"Drew, I have to go." I said, with barely contained rage.

I moved swiftly over to Annabeth and Luke.

"Get your hands off of me!" Annabeth shouted.

"I recommend you do exactly what she says." I said in an alarmingly low voice.

I didn't miss the look of relief that flashed in Annabeth's eyes.

"What are you going to do if I don't, Jackson?" Luke asked with a sick, half-smile.

Luke was testing me. He was goading me on. He wanted a fight, but I was determined to not lay a hand on him, no matter how much I wanted to.

"Percy, don't even think about it." Annabeth said. She had a warning look in her grey eyes that I couldn't ignore. She knew exactly what a fight with Luke Castellan would mean. War.

Luke raised a blond eyebrow at me, wrinkling the scar across the side of his face. He never let go of Annabeth's arm. It seemed as if we were locked in some fierce game of "Don't Blink". Annabeth let out an exasperated sigh. She tried to yank her arm back once more. Luke must've been too distracted by me to notice because she managed to break free of his iron grip.

I stepped in front of Annabeth as soon as she was free, creating a barrier between Luke and her.

"Look at you. You are such a stand up guy now, instead throwing aside your little whores like usual, you're playing their body-guard. How nice." Luke said.

Annabeth wrapped her small hand around my arm from behind me. "Let's just go." She said softly. Her voice was soothing and it allowed me to breathe for a second. I couldn't get into a fight with Luke. I kept repeating that in my head until finally, I believed it again. I grabbed Annabeth's hand and began to walk in the other direction.

"Oh come on, walking away? Really? Are you worried that your daddy won't be able to bail you out of jail, like last time? In my opinion he should have let you rot, like all murderers should." Luke called from behind us.

I stopped dead in my tracks. Annabeth had a horrified and confused look on her face. I didn't have the to time to worry about the looks she was giving me. I was too busy running back. I threw a punch so hard that I could feel Luke's nose break from underneath my knuckles. That was when all hell broke loose and the war began.


	8. The Truth

Annabeth

It took a good ten minutes before Charles Beckendorf and Nico came to separate Percy and Luke. Nico had grabbed Luke and Charlie had grabbed Percy. There was no fight left in either of them. Percy slumped into Charlie's large frame as the realization of what he'd just done settled over him. While Luke stood tall without the help of Nico, a sadistic smile playing on his face. I didn't really register any of it. The only thing that I could really focus on was the word "murderer". It played in my head on repeat like a really bad pop song that you couldn't get out of your head.

A part of me had never saw Percy as the gang leader everyone saw him as. I had just ignored it. All I ever saw, was what I wanted to see. I saw how when he smiled at me, his eyes would take on this otherworldly color of green. I saw how when he laughed he didn't look so tired all the time and how happiness would surge from him in a way that was almost addictive to be around. I saw how when he talked to his mother the slump that was in his shoulders lifted.

It was always there, I just chose to never see it. The murderer that was inside of him. It was that slump in his shoulders, it was in the darkness of his eyes and it was in the shadows under his eyes. It was a demon that followed him every day.

I could see it now. And now it was all I could see. I could hope and wish that Luke was lying, but I knew he wasn't. Percy's reaction said everything.

I wondered if I would ever be able to see Percy as anything besides a murderer. I wondered who he had killed. Was it someone horrible? Was it someone innocent? Were they old or young? What had they done to deserve the wrath of Percy Jackson?

How would I be able to trust a murderer? How would I be able to talk to him like before with that bubbly, blissfulness of friendship now gone?

I guess he could sense me staring at him, because he turned around to look at me. Percy's cheek was swollen and taking on a nasty shade of purple. He had blood running down his temple making a trail along his jaw before it dripped on his white shirt. He looked bad, but not as bad as Luke.

Luke had a broken nose for sure, and his jaw was about three sizes too big. Luke only had small cuts that ran along his face and arms. Yet he stood there, smiling. Ethan Nakamura and Jason Grace hovered around him as if their mere presence would ward off another attack.

Percy was watching me, but I couldn't bring myself to make eye contact. I had to get out of that place. Away from all of them. I turned to leave and I heard Percy call my name. I ran.

I ran as fast as I could through the mass of people who had gathered around the fight. I pushed and shoved until finally I made it back to the entrance of the fair. Too late, I realized I had nowhere to go. I didn't have a car because Luke had driven me.

I pulled out my cell phone, which I had for once. I called Thalia to pick me up. She said she'd be there soon. She didn't ask any questions and I loved her for that.

So, I stood there waiting. I expected Percy to chase after me, but he didn't. I shouldn't have been disappointed about that. What I wasn't expecting was Jason Grace to be the one to find me.

"My sister called me, she wanted me to check up on you." That was all he said. He stood behind me like a silent shadow.

"You shouldn't need your sister to call you, isn't that your job? To check up on me?" I asked bitterly.

Jason was a part of the Titan's. He was one of Luke's right hand guys.

"I don't understand what you're so upset about. You should be happy you're getting free protection. Someone is trying to kill you, you seem to forget that."  
"No, Jason I haven't forgotten." I said with a sigh. That fact was always buried in the back of my mind. I could always seem to forget about it when I was with Percy, though. He made me forget the bad things.

We stood there for a couple more minutes in silence.

"What are you doing, Jason?" I asked finally.

"I told you my sister wanted me to-" He started to say.

"No, I meant what are you doing with the Titans?" I said.

I turned around to look at him. He was tall, unlike his sister. It was strange how different the two of them were. Jason was tall, blonde, and always had this glowing tan. It wasn't just in their appearances either. Even though Jason was younger by a year, he had this air of authority and confidence that Thalia never possessed. Sure, Thalia was confident and brazen, but it was all for show. She scared people so no one would ever get close to her. There was a difference between being authoritative and being impertinent.

He looked down at me and sighed. "That is none of your business Annabeth."

"Of course it is, I've known you since you were five. You used to be so happy. You were that golden boy everyone was jealous of, what happened?" I asked.

He averted his blue eyes away from me and spoke. "We all have to do things we don't want to sometimes."

I scrunched my eyebrows together. I grabbed his arm. "Jason, what are you talking about?"

"Thalia really never told you?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Thalia never talks about you anymore. Everytime we bring you up she changes the subject."

"We?" He asked.

"Piper and I."

His jaw clenched in a way that looked painful. "You and Piper both need to learn to mind your own business." He snapped.

I blinked, taken aback.

"Jason, we just want to help you. You're our friend." I said gently.

"No you're my sister's friend, not mine." The iciness in his voice didn't escape me.

"That may be what you think, but it's not true. I'm here for you if you ever need me. And so is Piper."

He just stood there with his eyes trained ahead. Pretty soon Thalia pulled up. I ran to her car and just as I was about to get in, Jason called to me.

"Annabeth, do me a favor. Stay away from Percy Jackson."

I whipped my head around to him and gave him a questioning look.

"Why?" I called back.

"He's dangerous, especially to you." He walked away after that.

Especially to me? What was that suppose to mean?  
I jumped into Thalia's car. Thalia didn't ask me any questions. She drove back to her house. The only noise between us was the radio blasting. That car ride was soothing.

I wanted to forget everything from the past few weeks and get back to my old life. Things were too complicated now. And I was just so tired. I hadn't slept in weeks and the days left me drained. All I really wanted was the sweet reprieve of sleep.

We pulled into Thalia's driveway and she shut off the car. Neither of us moved.

"Annabeth, what's going on, really? Why are you hanging around two incredibly dangerous gangs? What have you gotten yourself into?" She said it in a voice like a whisper. It was quiet and so out of character for Thalia it made me want to cry. So I did.

I hadn't allowed myself to really cry this entire time. A few tears had managed to escape every once in a while, but I hadn't cried like this. I cried in the way that was more sobbing and gasping than anything else. Thalia said nothing as she scooted over and pulled me into her arms. I don't know how long we sat there, but I had never been more grateful to my best friend in our entire friendship.

When I finally stopped weeping she asked again what was going on. I told her this time. I told her about the attack, I told her about how Percy had found me, and I told her that the Titans were protecting me. I even explained to her about Percy being this alleged murderer.

"Annabeth, how could you keep this all a secret?" She asked.

I could say that I didn't want them to worry about me, that my intentions were completely selfless, but that would be a lie.

"I was being selfish. If I didn't have to talk about it, it didn't seem so real. By the time that I realized that this problem wasn't going to go away, I didn't really see a point of telling anyone." I said with a shrug.

"Oh Annabeth, you really are an idiot." Thalia said.

Through the tears I managed a surprised laugh that came out as more of a hiccup.

"I'm your best friend, we're suppose to tell each other everything, no matter how long it takes." She said with a hand on my shoulder.

"Well, I'm telling you now!"

She smiled, but then it seemed to fade as she processed something.

"Did you say Percy was a murderer?" She asked softly.

"Yeah, Luke said something about Percy's dad bailing him out of jail, but he should have stayed there because he killed someone."

Thalia sighed and closed her eyes slightly.

"Thalia, do you know something?" I asked tentatively.

"You should really talk to Percy about this."

"Why can't you just tell me?" I pried.

She looked at me in one of her rare, gentle ways. Her electric blue eyes glistened and it seemed as if she were at war with herself.

"It's not my place to tell you. But, promise me Annabeth, that you'll keep an open mind about it. Not everything is what it seems."

I nodded slowly.

She smiled, "Good, now how about we go have a movie marathon?"

I grinned back, "Nothing would be better, Thals."

Percy

I couldn't fall asleep that night. Everything was going to hell and it was all my fault. All I had to do was walk away and I couldn't do it. When Luke called me a murderer something inside me snapped and there was no going back. There was a hole inside of me that seemed to open at those words. Like everything from my past was digging its way back up through me and it seemed to be suffocating me from the inside. I was helpless as the guilt passed through me over and over like a riptide. I was constantly being pulled under until finally I couldn't keep my head above water and I was left to drown.

When Annabeth looked at me with her wide, horrified eyes, something I didn't know could be broken, broke. And it hurt like hell. Annabeth was someone I had come to rely on to remind me that I still had goodness inside of me. She made me feel like I wasn't the monster everyone thought I was. She looked at me like a hero and it was addictive. Then that night, she saw me and I mean, really saw me. She saw past the guy who saved her life, the guy that could make her laugh, and she saw who I really was. A killer.

Nico had been reluctant to leave me alone when he heard my mother wouldn't be home that night. I didn't know what he thought I would do, and I don't think I really wanted to know. He left my apartment eventually when I promised him I would go straight to bed.

I must have fallen asleep at some point because when I woke up it was light outside. I rubbed my hand over my face and looked at the clock, it was seven-thirty in the morning. Why was I even awake?

Then I heard the pounding on my door and realized that must have woken me up. I pulled on a pair of pants but I didn't bother with a shirt. My mother had probably forgotten her key. She had spent a lot of nights with Paul Blofis and I was doing my best to be okay with that.

I swung the door open and found Annabeth standing in front of me. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold and she was completely bundled up in clothes. In her mitten covered hands she carried two coffee cups.

"Hey," she said in a reserved voice.

I was stunned into silence. I didn't think I was going to be seeing much of her anymore, but there she was standing in front of me.

"I got you this. Black, just like you like it. Still, totally disgusting if you ask me." She said handing me the coffee cup.

I cleared my throat hoping it would jumble some words out instead of this infuriating silence. "Um, thanks."  
She smiled slightly. "Can I come in?" She asked.

"Yeah, of course." I said scrambling out of the way of her.

She walked in slowly and I closed the door behind her. She started to take off all of her layers and she laid them carefully on the couch. She pulled the cap off of her head and it left blonde curls splayed all around her face and I had the urge to go and fix them for her.

We stood in silence for a few seconds and I was just about to say something when she spoke.

"Could you, um, put a shirt on?" She mumbled.

I looked down at myself and remembered I had opted for no shirt.

"Is it distracting you?" I asked with a sly smile.

She pursed her lips at me like she always did when I said something she deemed to be inappropriate. That didn't stop the blush that passed over her cheeks, though.

"Yeah, hold on." I said more seriously. I came back with a t-shirt and she looked slightly more relaxed. It did bother her that I didn't have a shirt on and that made me kind of happy.

"So, what are you doing here? Not, that I'm not happy to see you, I'm just a little confused." I said as I sipped at the coffee she brought. We sat at my dining table facing each other.

She averted her grey eyes down to the cup she seemed to be holding onto for dear life.

"I wanna know the truth." She said.

"The truth about what?" I said, pretending not to know what she was talking about.

"Percy, you know what. Why did Luke call you a murderer?" She asked finally looking me in the eyes.

My hands automatically balled into fists just at the mention of the subject and I did everything I could to remain impassive.

"Annabeth, that's not something I'm willing to talk about." I said carefully.

"I need to know Percy, otherwise I can't be around you anymore. I can't hang out with you thinking these horrible thoughts about you. I want the truth." She said.

I debated whether or not to tell her. It wasn't something I talked about. It brought up memories I wasn't ready to remember. If I didn't tell her though, she would leave. I didn't know which was worse. I sighed finally.

"It was when I was twelve." Her eyebrows shot up.

"I had a stepfather name Gabe Ugliano, one of the worse guys you'll ever meet. Don't ask me why my mother married him, I have no idea. Anyway, one day when I was ten, he got a little too drunk and a little too angry and he decided to take it out on me. By the end of it I needed four stitches for my head. Gabe told the doctors I fell down the stairs. We didn't have stairs." I said with a humorless laugh.  
Annabeth's face took on an anxious look and her grey eyes darkened.

"It went on like that for a couple of years, but I usually didn't have to go to the hospital. My mother always tried to stop him, but then he'd just end up hitting her instead. Then one night, it went too far. My mother had intervened. He was choking her and I could literally see him draining the life from her. So, I grabbed one of his broken beer bottle shards and I stabbed him in the back."

Annabeth had grabbed my hand from across the table.

"I was supposed to go to juvie for five years but then my father stepped in. Poseidon, I mean. He told me if I worked for the Half-Bloods he'd make sure I got off scott-free. I was twelve, and I was scared, so I said yes."

"Oh Percy," She whispered.

It felt like I couldn't stop, the confessions just kept coming.

"That was the first time I had ever met my father. He never had any interest in me, but I go to juvie and suddenly he cares. I've spent the past five years of my life repaying a debt to my father. Only It's a debt that can never be paid. He will always want me in the Half-Bloods and if I ever want to leave, he'll find a way to make me stay. He's a vindictive bastard, just like my step father." I said in a resigned voice.

"Percy, I'm so sorry. I had no idea." She said.

She looked up at me through the tears in her eyes. "I can't even imagine growing up like that, it must have been awful."

"Well it wasn't exactly like Full House, but I survived." I said jokingly.

"I'm serious Percy, no child should ever have to go through that. You know you did the right thing, saving your mother."

"I don't regret saving my mother, but I do regret killing him. If that makes any sense." I tried to explain.

She nodded her head. "It does. It makes so much sense. I can see the guilt you carry around, but you did what you had to. You saved your mother's life. You are a hero Percy Jackson. You saved my life and your mother's. I'm so sorry I ever doubted you."  
She said remorsefully.

"Annabeth, I'm not a hero." I said a little too forcefully.

She got up and walked around the table to kneel in front of me. She looked up to me through her thick lashes. I had never really thought of Annabeth as beautiful, cute or hot maybe, but not beautiful. She was though, and in that moment I realized it.

"You are, Percy. You are one of the best people I've ever known. Never forget that." She said.

I had no idea what to say, so I said nothing. She stood up and wrapped her arms around me. Her hair smelt faintly of lemons and her body formed perfectly to mine. I have no idea how long we stayed that way.

I had gotten a phone call a few hours later that my father wanted to see me. He must have heard that I had started the war between the Titans and the Half-Bloods and my guess was that this wasn't a happy visit. Annabeth said she was tired and she asked if she could stay at my apartment. By the time I left she was passed out and curled up on my bed.

The sight made something warm and slippery come alive in my chest, but I didn't really have the luxury of thinking about that, not when my father was waiting to most likely ream me out.

I got over to my father's office as fast as I could. I didn't want to make him wait.

It was a Saturday and the company was still busy. People gave me strange looks as I passed by them. It probably looked strange that a teenage boy was running to the office of a CEO of a fortune five hundred company. I ignored their pointed looks and held my head high.

I knocked on my father's door and I heard him tell me to come in. I slipped in quickly and sat down at one of the chairs in front of his desk.

Poseidon looked as professional as ever, in his grey pinstriped suit.

"I understand that there is an official war between the Half-Bloods and the Titans now, is that correct?" He asked with his back turned to me. He was staring out at the New York city skyline. His entire back wall of his office was glass.

"Yes." I said in a chipped voice.

"You started it, did you not?" Poseidon asked.

"I did, sir. I lost control. I don't know-" I tried to explain.

"I don't really care how it happened. We must now deal with the consequences." He said, finally turning around to look at me. He didn't seem angry, oddly enough.

"Do you have any plans?" I asked.

He gave me a half-smile.

"I do actually. I'm tired of playing games. The anonymous backer for the Titans is named Athena Minerva."  
My eyebrows scrunched together.

"You mean the woman who owns Olympus Corps?" I asked. "Why would she get involved in a gang?"

"Because, she thinks that the way to take me down, is by taking down the Half-Bloods." He said.

"Why does she want to take you down?" I inquired.

"We have some rough history," He said carefully.

"Anyway, I know her weak spot." Poseidon said.

"Okay, and you want the Half-Bloods to do something about this so-called weak spot."

"Precisely." Poseidon said, slamming his hands on to his desk.

"What is this weak spot, exactly?" I asked, curious.

Poseidon dropped a yellow manila folder in front of me. I pulled it towards me and started to file through it. It was full of pictures. My heart started to race as I saw each one. I started to shake my head. I kept filing through each picture hoping to figure out some other explanation. A knot had formed in my stomach and I wanted to be sick.

"Her name is Annabeth Chase and she is Athena's daughter. I want her dead."


	9. Hard decisions

Percy

I didn't say anything for a while. My father stood waiting, completely quiet. He was anticipating my reaction. It was too bad I couldn't seem to find one. I was numb. It seemed as if every nerve ending in my body had been singed off, leaving me with no way of knowing how I felt.

"No questions?" My father asked. His voiced remaining completely cavalier. He talked as if we were discussing the weather, not of the murder of a seventeen year old girl.

I ignored his question. "I won't do it. The Half-Bloods don't kill people."

I raised my eyes to his. I had his eyes, they were the same sea-foam green I saw every time I looked in the mirror. Which means that the flash of anger that passed through them was easy to spot. It was quite familiar.

"I wasn't asking, son. I was ordering you. I want this girl dead." He spoke carefully and slowly. There was no room for argument by the tone of his voice.

Just the thought of Annabeth dead made me sick, but the idea of being the cause of it was enough to make me want to vomit.

All this time I had been trying to figure out who had attacked Annabeth and never once did I even imagine it was my father. I strained to remember the night of the attack, when I walked in on my father on the phone. He had talked about something he had ordered done. He had been so sure that it would end the conflict between the The Titan's and The Half-Bloods. My father had thought the attack would scare away Athena, but it hadn't, it had only made it worse. It had been right in front of me the entire time and I never saw it. It also explained why The Titan's were protecting Annabeth, because her mother had wanted it. And she was the Titan's benefactor. What didn't make sense was that Annabeth had told me her mother was dead. Had she lied to me, or did she really not know?

It didn't matter if she had lied to me or not, I wasn't going to let anything happen to Annabeth.

"I won't do it."

My father clenched his jaw. He motioned to his bodyguard to move in front of the door, my only exit. I pressed down the wave of panic that threatened to surface.

"Do I have to remind you, that I can send you right back to juvie, whenever I want?"

I gulped. "No, you can't. I was pardoned of all of my crimes."

He smiled slightly, "Yes, but if I remember correctly, you've done some fairly illegal things for the Half-Bloods. How do you think the police would react if I gave them evidence that you've assisted in, let's see...a drug deal? I think they would be all too happy to arrest you."

I narrowed my eyes. "Everything I have ever done, I've done for you. It was your money that bought those drugs, and I can prove it. I have a list of every illegal transaction you've ever made for the Half-Bloods. I think they'd be quite interested in that, don't you think?" I said, matching his vindictive smile.

"Son, I have every cop in New York city on my payroll, no one is going to arrest me."

"Right of course. How about the FBI, do you have them paid off too? Because I'm pretty sure that money laundering is one of their specialties."

The smile on Poseidon's quickly diminished. He walked from around his desk to stand right in front of me. Poseidon was probably only an inch taller than me, but he was still intimidating.

"You're bluffing. You don't have any evidence." He said. trying to gouge my reaction.

For once, I wasn't. I alway kept track of the money he gave the Half-Bloods and where it ended it up. I had all the evidence I needed to lock my father in a federal prison for the rest of his life. I was just waiting for the right time to use the leverage I had gained over the years.

"Are you really willing to risk the rest of your life in prison, on a bluff?"

We were standing so close, our chests touched. I wondered what we would look like to a stranger, certainly not father and son. Enemies, maybe.

"Fine, I'll just have someone else take care of it." He resigned.

"No, no one touches her."

Poseidon tilted his head and a light sprang in his eyes.

"You know her, don't you?"

I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat at the accusation. If he knew I was connected to Annabeth, he could use her against me.

"No."

"Really?" He questioned. He walked away from me and back to his desk. He picked up the file that he had given me, the one that contained the information on Annabeth.

"She is your age, isn't she? And, it seems she goes to your school, also. That is a lot of coincidences. Surely you've met before."

My eyes flickered to the pictures. How long had they been following her? Were there any pictures of me with her. If there was, there was no way I could deny that I knew her.

"Yes, she's goes to my school. I've seen her in the hall a few times, so what?" I did my best to keep my voice neutral.

"Well, it seems strange to care so much for the well-being of a girl you barely know?" Poseidon questioned.

"She doesn't deserve to die for her mother's mistakes. She's innocent in all of this."

Poseidon nodded slightly.

"One thing you should learn, son, is that no one is ever innocent."

I shook my head. "If you touch her, I will bring all the evidence I have against you to the FBI, and you will go to jail for the rest of your life." Controlling the anger in my voice was getting harder. I was practically shouting

"If you do that, I'll make sure you go back to prison as well."

"Do what you have to, I certainly will."

Poseidon didn't say anything. He was probably weighing his options. He didn't know if I was serious. He was probably trying to figure out why I was willing to go to jail for a girl I barely knew.

"Fine. Nothing will happen to the girl." Poseidon said, finally.

I didn't for one second trust my father, but it was the best I could do for now. I would have to keep a closer eye on Annabeth for a while. The Titan's were also watching her, or Athena was, I guess.

I had to get to the bottom of that as well. I wanted to make sure Athena Minerva was truly Annabeth's mother.

"Good." I said with a note of finality.

I got up to leave and I made it to the door before I turned back to look at my father.

"You know, all I had ever wanted my entire life, was to have a father. A real father. Someone to play catch with or to watch a game with. My mother never told me who you were. And when you showed up behind that plexiglass for the first time when I was arrested, I thought I would finally have everything I ever wanted. I would have a dad."

I don't know what possessed me to confess this to Poseidon. I think a part of me had always believed that there was some kind of morality in my father. If I learned anything that day, it was that there was no morality left in my father, or humanity for that matter. He had looked me straight in the eye and told me to kill an innocent girl. There was no remorse in his eyes, only the sick need for vengeance. I knew then that I would never have a father in Poseidon. He wasn't capable of love.

"But, I was wrong. Now, I wish you would have stayed a mystery, you were a better father that way."

Something close to hurt passed over his emerald eyes. As fast as the emotion came, it was gone, replaced by a steely wall of resolve he always used.

"I never wanted a son, Percy. When I came to you, it was always a business transaction."

I tried to ward off the sharp stab of pain in my chest at his words. I nodded my head stiffly and finally walked out of his office.

Annabeth

I awoke to the sound of the front door opening. I rubbed away the sleepiness in my eyes with fists. I hadn't slept that well in weeks. Not a single nightmare plagued me. As grateful as I was from the break in the nightmares, I found their sudden disappearance odd. I decided not to question it.

I rose from Percy's dark bed sheets and shivered. His apartment was cold so I grabbed the first sweatshirt I could find. It smelt like him. Like the sweet smell of cigarettes, his aftershave, and something that was completely Percy. I pulled the jacket closer to me.

I walked out from the living room expecting to see Percy, instead I found his mother, Sally.

"Oh, hello," I said rather sheepishly.

Sally's back had been turned away from me, so she hadn't known I was there. She turned around abruptly, startled.

"Oh, Annabeth. You scared me." She said with a hand over her heart.

Her dark hair was down and loose falling across her shoulders and her cheeks were still flushed from the weather. I'd seen Sally a few times over the previous weeks and she was always kind to me. She reminded me of my mother, so lovely and generous.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were Percy."

Sally raised a dark eyebrow.

"Percy's not here?" She asked, her eyes falling to the sweatshirt I was wearing.

Heat crept to me cheeks.

"I came over this morning and he said he had to see his father. He let me stay and I took a nap." I said, almost stumbling over my words. "I was cold." I added, lamely, fingering a loose string on the sweatshirt.

A smile crept up on Sally's face.

"It's alright Annabeth, I hope I didn't wake you."

"Oh, no."

She smiled slightly. "I'm going to make some tea, would you like any?"

I smiled in return, "Yes, please."

She nodded her head and moved to the kitchen. I followed her and sat at the island that separates the living room from the kitchen. She spoke as she busied herself with making the tea.

"You and Percy have been spending a lot of time together. I'm glad."

I didn't know what to say, so I just quietly murmured a yes.

Once she had the water starting to boil on the tea kettle, she turned around to look at me. Her blue eyes were soft, surrounded by small smile lines.

"You're good for him."

I frowned slightly. "I don't understand."

She sighed sadly, a melancholy look taking up her features.

"I've always known that there was goodness in my son. Always. Percy has a light in him that should have been extinguished a long time ago, considering everything he's had to go through in his short life. But, it's there and I take every chance I get to remind him of that. He's never believed me, he's always seen himself as someone who wasn't good enough."

My chest tightened at the thought of this Percy. A Percy who hated himself. Before today, I would have completely disagreed with her, because I had never met a person more confident in himself than Percy Jackson. But after everything Percy told me that morning, about killing his stepfather and working for Poseidon, I saw a deep self-loathing in him that I had never seen before.

"But with you, he's starting to see his goodness. You make him feel like he is worth something, and I can't tell you how thankful I am to you, for that." She said with such sincerity it made a tiny gasp escape me.

"I really appreciate that, but I don't think that has anything to do with me."

She walked over to me and placed a hand over mine.

"It does, trust me."

Her eyes burned with gratitude, and my throat ached with unsaid words. I couldn't tell her that I had nothing to do with her son finally realizing he was a good person. That was all him. The way she looked at me was so tender and motherly though, that I didn't have the heart tell her any differently. I missed those looks and I was too selfish to give them up.

The moment was broken with the sharp whistle of the teapot. She gave me one last smile and patted my folded hands before she turned around to grab the tea pot.

Sally had just gotten done pouring my tea when the front door slammed open. This time it was Percy. He looked awful. He was pale and his green eyes were hard and cold, lacking their general luster.

"Percy, are you alright?" Sally asked, walking around the island to walk closer to her son. It was the first time she had seen the damage Luke had done to Percy, only the night before. I could tell she had a hundred questions spinning in her head. She extended her hand out to his cheek, but he grabbed it gently and pulled it back down to her waist. He smiled weakly. "Yeah, Mom, I'm fine."

His gaze slid over to me and my stomach dropped. Something had happened. His father had to have done something to him. All I could do was stare back.

Percy cleared his throat, "Annabeth, you want to go for a walk?"

I bit my lip and looked to Sally, she nodded her head.

"Yeah, sure Percy."

We walked to a park close to Percy's apartment. As we walked along a pond, I watched as the ducks scrambled for the pieces of bread being thrown by a little girl on the other side of the pond. Percy hadn't said a word since we left the apartment. I was slowly growing uneasier with each deafeningly silent step we took.

I didn't want to bombard him with questions though, so I was forced to act like everything was fine. Percy finally led me over to a bench that overlooked the pond. It was the middle of winter in New York and the breeze was like ice. I pulled Percy's jacket closer to me and tucked my legs underneath me.

Percy sat beside me, silently. He was completely stoic as he sat on the bench hunched over with his folded hands between his legs. His cheek facing me should have been a pretty shade of pink like his other, instead it was a nasty mix of green, blue, and purple from where Luke had punched him. He stared ahead watching the pond, keeping his gaze away from me.

"Annabeth, there is something you should know."

I grabbed his arm so he would look at me. When he finally turned towards me, he had a sad smile on his face.

"You have to know, I had no idea." He started. He sounded desperate. My eyes instantly filled with concern. He was scared. I didn't know why though, was he scared of my reaction to what he was about to tell me.

"Percy,you know I trust you. Whatever it is, you can tell me."

He stayed quiet for a beat longer.

His eyes fell to the jacket I was all wrapped up in. It was huge and covered my legs that I had tucked underneath me.

"You're wearing my jacket?" He said it as more of a question than a statement.

I looked down. It was an old sweatshirt from his auto body shop, I didn't know if he'd be mad at me for wearing it.

"Yeah, sorry, I was cold when I woke. I grabbed the first thing I could find."

Something changed in his facial features. His eyes finally softened and a soft smile touched his red lips. I swallowed hard. When he looked at me like that my heart did stupid things. My lips upturned faintly in response.

"You wanted to tell me something?" I asked, trying to get him back to the matter at hand.

A shadow was cast over his features instantly. He turned away from me again.

"Annabeth," he started to say, mustering up the courage to face me again. He sighed deeply. It looked as if he were struggling for words, until finally he gave me a resolved look.

He clenched his jaw before he spoke.

"Your mother is alive."

My eyes widened to the size of saucers and my hand instantly dropped from Percy's arm.

"That's impossible! I watched her die. I was in the room when the heart monitor stopped beeping My mother is dead." I said forcefully.

He gave me a tender look. "What was your mother's name?"

My face scrunched up at the question. "Julie Chase."

Percy gave me a pained look.

"Annabeth, this isn't going to be easy to hear, but the women who raised you, she isn't your real mother. Athena Minerva, she is your birth mother. Your real mother."

It felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach, repeatedly. I couldn't breathe. My entire chest was tight and I started to gasp for air. I was having a panic attack, I was at least stable enough to realize that, and I guess so was Percy. He told me to put my head down and breathe slowly. Once I felt like my lungs were working properly again I looked back to Percy. Concern was riddled all across his features.

I didn't want to believe Percy, but he had never lied to me before. In fact, he had only ever told me the truth. I saw no trace of uncertainty in his eyes. What he said was the truth, he didn't want to tell me, but he did any way.

I swallowed thickly as tears pooled in my eyes. I was sobbing soon after that. Percy pulled me to him and I was left to cry into his chest. I couldn't think about anything other than the fact that my entire childhood was a lie. Or the fact that the woman I loved most in this world, had lied to me my entire life. Tears continued to wrack through me, each wave harder than the next.


	10. Keres

Annabeth

I sat silently in my seat at the dinner table, fidgeting. I looked from each family member to the next. I kept stopping at my father. It's amazing how much you notice about a person when you really pay attention. Every once in a while he would smile at something one of the twins said, or he would scratch at the blonde stubble on his chin, or other times when he spoke, he would mess with his glasses. My father was the same as he had always been. Slightly of kilter and quiet. Nothing had changed, not to anybody else. Unfortunately, for me, everything had changed.

"I want to see my birth certificate." My stepmother, June, who had been talking, stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes bulged, as did my father's.

"Annabeth, don't interrupt people while they are talking, it's rude!" June reprimanded.

I ignored her and kept my eyes trained on my father. He nervously pushed up his glasses.

"Annabeth, why do you want to see your birth certificate?" He asked.

I don't know what caused the sudden outburst from me. Maybe I was tired of all the lies. Sitting at the dinner table pretending everything was fine, it just wasn't something I could do anymore. My mother and father had lied to me my entire life. I needed the truth. I craved it.

"Because, I want to know who my mother is." I deadpanned.

June dropped her fork, the clattering, painfully piercing the silence. My father continued to look at me like I had two heads. He looked like he had been frozen in time,with his mouth agape and his hand carrying a forkful of food to his mouth, stopped in mid-air. If I wasn't so angry, I might have laughed.

"Annie, don't you know who your mommy is?" Bobby asked, confused.

"I thought I did." My eyes never wandering from my father's.

"Boys go to your room, now." June ordered. The twins grumbled and whined, but eventually waddled their stubby legs up the stairs to their rooms.

We sat in silence waiting for someone to speak. Everything was a mystery in my life and I had to solve something. I would have sat in that wooden chair for days if it meant I would finally get answers.

"The woman who raised you, Carol, she was your mother." My father said, at last.

It had been years since I heard my father mention her name, and it brought a sting of tears to my eyes.

"She just wasn't my birth mother. Don't forget that part!" I screamed at him. I had never raised my voice to my father. I took everything he or my step mother said in stride, but I was done. I wasn't going to be the complacent little girl they were so used to. Not anymore.

"God, are you even my real father?"

"Annabeth you-" June started.

"Why are you even here, this doesn't concern you!"

"Of course it does, I'm your mother!"

I got up so fast the chair behind me flipped over.

"Don't you dare call yourself that! You are not my mother! You're just some home wrecker my dad got pregnant!"

I had certainly never screamed at June, maybe a biting comment here or there, but that was only because she had said something similar to me. I regretted my words as soon as I said them. June was definitely not my favorite person, but I hated myself for talking to her like that. I never wanted to be the girl who hurt people with her petty words. It wasn't me. It was catty and pathetic.

June audibly gasped at my words. I did my best to ignore her. I averted my eyes back to my father.

"Well? Aren't you going to say anything?"

"Annabeth, you should think about what you're asking, because you might not want the answers."  
"What I want is the truth!" I said, flailing my arms.

He nodded slowly and rose from his chair.

"Sit down, I'll be right back."

I pursed my lips and sat back down. Just as fast as my anger came, it was gone. All that was left was a hollow feeling in my stomach. Did I really want to know the truth? I loved my mother, she was best person I had ever known. Did I really want to taint her memory?

"Annabeth, I'm sorry." June whispered from beside me.

I looked over to her, shocked.

"For what?"

Her head was hung, her dark hair hiding her face. She slowly looked up to me, revealing her red rimmed eyes and blushed cheeks. She was crying. Great, I was officially the worst person ever, I made my step mother cry.

"For the things I've done in the past. I never meant to mess up your life. When you ran away when you were a child, I thought it was just a phase. But, you still hate me, don't you?" She spoke in a broken voice. I had never seen June like this, and quite frankly, it freaked me out.

"June, I don't hate you. I just never wanted another mother. You came into my life when I had just lost my mom. It felt like my dad had completely forgotten about her, and was replacing her with you. It's not easy to have to live with a walking reminder of what I lost."

Tears rocked through her, harder. I brought my arms up to comfort her, but I thought better of it. How had this turned into a full-out family intervention? So I sat there awkwardly watching June cry. I prayed my father would hurry up.

My father walked backed to the table with a cardboard box. He looked from June to me and gave me a questioning look. I shrugged my shoulders like, 'what can you do?' His lips thinned, but he seemed to bite down whatever he was about to say. Instead he dropped the box in front of me.

"What's in it?" I asked.

"Everything you need to know about your birth mother."

For the past three days all I've wanted to know was the truth about my mother. But then, with the box full of answers sitting right in front of me, nothing seemed more terrifying than the truth. I took a deep breath and reached out to the box. The lid had a simple name written on the top in my father's bulky handwriting. Athena.

Athena Minerva. Right. My mother. I ignored how my stomach rolled at the statement and lifted the box to look inside.

The box was filled with pictures, papers, and a thousand other tiny keepsakes. There was a picture lying on the top. It was of a beautiful women with long black hair. She was looking down at something with a content smile on her face, it was a little bundle in her arms. Me. I was the little bundle.

Tears pricked at my eyes. Was I happy because my mother seemed to love me? Or sad because I'd missed out on that love for seventeen years? No matter, I pushed the tears away and dropped the picture back into the box.

"What is all of this?" I whispered, my eyes burning holes into the box's content.

"It's everything I have left of your mother. I kept it these years, in case you ever wanted to see it."

I looked up to my father. He stood awkwardly patting my step mother's back. He looked like he would rather be anywhere but there.

"Her name is Athena Minerva, but something tells me you already knew that."

"Were you ever going to tell me?" I demanded. My anger that had dissipated, quickly reappearing.

"Honesty, Annabeth, no."

"How could you not tell me? I had a right to know!"

"I was trying to protect you." He said. His blue eyes were sincere behind his thick frames.

"Keeping me away from my mother is not protection! It's illegal and wrong!" I choked out.

"Annabeth, I never kept you from Athena. Athena stayed away. It was easier to lie about Carol being your mother. We never wanted you to know the pain of Athena's abandonment."

I had wondered the past few days how I ended up with my father and not my mother. I had just assumed my father had done something to make sure I stayed with him. Never once had the thought crossed my mind that my mother never wanted me. A new, unfamiliar slice of pain struck my heart.

"She didn't want me." I whispered. I said it as more of a statement than a question.

"I hadn't even known Athena was pregnant. We had broken up with months before you were ever born. By that time, I had met Carol and we were in love. Athena came to us one night, told us about your birth and begged us to take you. Carol raised you as her own. She was your mother." He said forcefully.

I knew Carol was my mother and that she loved me like a daughter, but the pain was still very real. I didn't acknowledge my father, instead I pulled the box closer to me and started to pick apart all of its belongings.

There were pictures of Athena and my father back in their glory days. In most of them they were smiling and hugging. In one of them, however, she was frowning at the camera. Her long hair was pulled up into a messy bun, with her fat glasses askew on her nose, behind her she had a desk covered in papers, one of them a giant blue print.

"Why does she look so angry in this picture?" I asked my father.

He looked over my shoulder at the picture and smiled faintly.

"Your mother owns Olympus Corporation now, but it belonged to her father before that. At the time of the picture she was overseeing a building being made in Manhattan for the company. She had been under a lot of stress that day."

"Then why did you take the picture?" I asked.

He sighed. "All of these other pictures of her laughing and smiling, that was only one side of Athena. The woman in this picture," He pointed to the one I was holding. "Was the other side of Athena Minerva. I wanted to capture both sides of her."  
It seemed my father knew everything there was to know about Athena, and yet, I knew nothing. At that moment I knew I had to know her. I had to meet me my mom.

Percy

If there is one thing in my life that I truly believe to be sacred, it's sleep. So, when I got a phone call at five in the morning, I was not a happy camper. When I learned that said phone call is about a fight between the Titan's and the Half-Bloods, well I become a pretty damn furious camper.

When I got to the auto shop that morning the place was trashed. Equipment was strewn on the floor, metal tables thrown about, and the cars were spray painted and smashed in. This camper was pretty close to getting a badge for kicking in Titan teeth. Too bad the Half-Bloods decided to do it for me.

I had been standing in the doorway for about a minute when Grover Underwood ran up to me with a giant grin on his face.

"Aw, man you should have seen it. After we came back to find this," he said gesturing dramatically to the mess. "We got together and tracked down the Titans and kicked their asses. They barely made a scratch on us!"

Grover was practically giddy with adrenaline still coursing through his veins. I knew what the Half-Bloods wanted, for me, their leader to praise them for their work and for their quick retaliation. But I couldn't. I shook my head as I looked around the room once more, a few of the Half-Bloods had wondered out from the back. Some were stitching up wounds or cradling ice packs to their faces.

"You went out there without my permission, and without a plan. It was reckless and stupid. Someone could have been killed."

The grin on Grover's face slowly diminished.

"We kicked their asses. We out numbered them three to one, there was no need for a plan. We were going to beat them regardless. They conceded halfway through the fight!"

My eyes snapped open at that. There is no way the Titan's would have conceded. Luke would never have allowed it. Something wasn't right.

"What exactly happened when you showed up at their hangout? Tell me everything." I growled.

Grover shrugged. "I don't know. We barged in, and we just attacked, and then they just conceded.

"What were the Titan's doing when you barged in?" I asked.

"Just standing and sitting around I think,"

I shook my head. It didn't make any sense. They should have been prepared, at least had weapons on the ready. They had just torn up our shop, they had to know there would be a retaliation. They had to know.

"What the hell?" Came from across the room.

I snapped my head in the direction.

"My arm," I realized it was Connor Stoll speaking from across the room. I sped across the room.

He was cradling his arm. Blue, spidery veins popped out of his forearm. My stomach dropped to me knees at the sight.

"No." I whispered.

Connor looked to me with a new panic in his eyes.  
"You know what this is? Oh god, is it cancer? Am I dying? I'm dying, aren't I."

I ignored Connor.

"Everyone, check for blue veins anywhere the Titan's could have touched you!" My voiced echoed across the shop, all the way to back. A few remaining Half-Bloods who hadn't made it to the front, strolled in at my command.

"Why?" Will Solace asked from the other side of the room.

"Just do it, now!" I growled.

They all grumbled, but they began to check their extremities.

"I have them on my leg."

"Me too, on my arm."

"Yeah, I do too," And so forth. Half-Bloods everywhere were spotting blue protruding veins across their skin. If everything in the room hadn't already been knocked over, I would've broken something. The Titans were counting on a retaliation. They knew the Half-Bloods would attack them in a blind rage, especially if I wasn't there to stop them. While the Half-Bloods were busy attacking, the Titans were stabbing them with needles. Its hard to feel a small needle when it comes in the way of a punch to the arm or leg.

"Perce, what is this?" Grover asked.

I looked back at him with a grim look.

"It's called Keres. It's a poison, that targets your bloodstream. Without a cure, you'll all be dead in three days."

You could hear a pin drop in that shop. No one made a sound for a good minute. They all had to come to terms with the fact that they were dying.

"Okay, then we get the cure." Will solace said finally.

I shook my head. "It's not that easy, this poison is extremely rare and expensive. Which makes the cure even more rare and expensive. The only reason I know about it, is because Poseidon had me sell some on the black market years ago."

"Well then, your dad must have the cure." Will said

"Maybe." It was very unlikely that my father had the cure, considering he sold it along with the poison. I didn't think they needed to know that, though. I did however know who had the cure now. Athena Minerva. She is the only person the Titans would've gotten the poison from. I just had to hope beyond hope that she had the cure too, and not the Titans.

"Don't worry, boys. I'll get the cure, no matter what."

I had a plan, but I wasn't exactly thrilled about it either. I needed to figure out where Athena was hiding the cure, and to do that, I had to talk to her. Somehow, I don't believe that she would condone killing fifty teenagers. This has Kronos written all over it. If I could just talk to her, I could convince her to give me the cure.

The only the problem was getting close enough to talk to her. I had done my research, Athena is nearly always with two body guards. I don't think they would be to keen on letting the leader of the Half-Bloods anywhere near her. But her long-lost daughter, maybe.

I knocked on the Chase's door. The door swung open to . Her face was tear-stained and her hair was a wild mess around her face. I tried to hide the immediate surprise from my face.

I cleared my throat, "Um, is Annabeth here?"

She did her best to flatten out her hair while she stepped aside.

"She's in the kitchen."

I smiled, "Thanks, Mrs. Chase." She nodded and gave me a slight smile.

I never understood why Annabeth hated her step mother so much, she was always kind to me. And I'm not used to that luxury.

Annabeth was hunched over the kitchen island, looking through a box of photos. She had a bunch splayed out in front of her in rows. She was busy rearranging them and mumbling to herself. I stood there in the entryway watching her. I was caught between interrupting her or just waiting until she was done with whatever she was so invested in. Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of time.

"Hey," I said, easily.

The pictures she still held in her hand jumped out at my voice. She looked over at me with wild eyes.  
"Jesus, you scared me!"

I smiled, "I prefer to go by Percy, but whatever works."

She tilted her head and pursed her lips at me.

"What are you doing here?"

"What? You're not happy to see me?" I mocked hurt.

She sighed. "Yes, I'm happy to see you. I've just kind of been through…a lot today."

I walked over to where she was seated, and sat down across from her. Up close I could see all of the pictures. They were mostly of a young woman.

"Who is this?"

"Athena. My mom," She whispered.

"I kind of wish I look like her, you know. I just wish there was some kind of connection between us."

I studied the pictures closer, it was true, they really didn't look anything alike. She was tall with long, straight black hair. Even her facial features were different. Athena's were sharp and defined, while Annabeth's were smooth and soft. There was one connection though.

"You have her eyes."

Annabeth brought one of the pictures up close to her face. A slow smile enveloped her face once she noticed the small similarity.

"Yeah, I guess we do. I always wondered where the grey eyes came from."

She slowly put the picture back in its place in her makeshift rows and looked back to me.

"Do you think it's crazy that I want more than anything to meet someone who doesn't want me?" Her question sounded more like a plea.

"No. I always wanted to meet my father."

She laughed humorously, "Yeah, and look how well that turned out."

"That's true."

I didn't want to try to convince Annabeth she should meet her mother, but I had to. The lives of fifty Half-Bloods depended on it. Annabeth still didn't know that Athena was the Titan's backer and that my father was responsible for nearly killing her. I had debated the entire drive home after finding out whether or not I should tell Annabeth, but I just couldn't. I remembered how suspicious she was at first that I was the one who found her in the alley. The notorious gang leader. There was no way she would believe that it was a coincidence that I saved her after not knowing that my father had been the one to put the hit out on her. She would never trust me again and she would probably hate me, and I couldn't live with that.

Annabeth had to meet her mother, with me around, and I had perfect setting.

"Hey, I think you should meet your mother, get the whole story. You owe it to yourself."

"You think?"

"I do."

She half smiled, "I don't even know how I'd meet her. It's not like I can just call her on the phone and ask her to grab coffee."

I gave her a sly smile, "How do you feel about dancing?"

She scrunched her eyebrows together, "What?"

"I saw online, your mother is throwing a banquet for some disease tomorrow night. If we can sneak in, you can walk right up to her."

Annabeth smiled, "You would go with me?"

"Of course, you're going to need some arm candy if you're going to go to a swanky event like that."

Her grey eyes glistened and she broadened her white smile, "Dancing it is, then."


	11. Ch.11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annabeth meets her mom.

CH.11

"Thalia, get that black eyeliner away from me!"

"Oh c'mon, it will make your eyes pop!"

"I said no."

"Black is too harsh for Annabeth. She needs earthy tones." Piper interjected.

"Yeah, what she said." I agreed instantly.

I had mistakenly, told Piper and Thalia about the banquet. Yesterday I had been in such a panic at the thought of meeting my mother, I had called Piper to try and calm myself. Which ended with me telling her everything, including the attack. Also a mistake. Piper now made me text her every few hours or so, and if I didn't, she would call me. I loved Piper for caring, but she was suffocating.

Now I was stuck playing dress up with my two best friends, who were just about as clueless as I was when it came to looking even remotely evening wear appropriate.

"Fine, whatever, I'll just pick out her outfit." Thalia said, while walking to my closet.

"No!" Piper and I said in unison.

Thalia just rolled her eyes and continued to rummage through my closet.

"Percy is going to flip when he sees you." Piper commented, while playing with my hair.

I stopped looking through the makeup my stepmother had provided me (Ever since her break down the day before, she had been insanely nice) and looked back to Piper through the mirror. I raised my eyebrows at her.

"And why would he do that?" I asked.

"He's never seen you all gussied up, and he obviously likes regular Annabeth, so he is going to flip when he sees 'super fancy Annabeth'."

I choose to ignore Piper and pulled out some eyeshadows. An hour and half later my make up was finished and my hair was falling across my shoulders in sleek golden waves. The only thing that hadn't been decided on was my dress.

"Annabeth, there is nothing in this closet that could pass as proper for some swanky banquet." Thalia said with frustration leaking through her voice.

"Well I didn't exactly have the time or money to go looking for a dress." I said slightly miffed at Thalia's tone.

We all stood there staring at my sad excuse for a closet, looking for what, I have no idea.

"Hey, what about that dress in attic?" Thalia asked.

I knew exactly the dress Thalia was talking about the second she mentioned it. When Thalia and I were younger, we used to play up in my attic. The dress had stood up there for as long as I could remember. We used to just sit up there and marvel at it. We would image all the fantastical places that we would wear it to. It was one of the main sources for our childhood fantasies.

The elegant evening dress hadn't been worn in ten years. It was subject to early 2000s fashion, but it was gorgeous all the same. It was also my mom's, well not my actual mother, the woman who raised me. It seemed keeping my mothers strait was going to be an issue from now on.

"I don't know Thalia, that dress was my mom's."

"I want to see it. Can we at least look at it." Piper asked.

I shrugged. It wouldn't hurt to just look at it.

I was wrong it hurt. It hurt a lot. The dress was a stark contrast to all the old dusty forgotten things of my attic. It clung to an old iron dress form in the middle of the room. A small window was perched behind it allowing the sunlight to stream directly on the gown. The sunlight sent shards of light from the gems of the dress reflecting across the walls of my attic. It was so bright it almost hurt to look at.

"Annabeth, it's gorgeous! You have to wear that dress." Piper said, walking across the room to stand next to the dress form.

"I can't, it was my mom's. It doesn't feel right." I whispered.

"It used to be our dream to someday wear this dress to some place. This is your chance Annie."

"It wouldn't be right, to go and to meet my real mom, in the dress of the women who loved me like her daughter. It doesn't feel right."

I wrapped my arms around my self to fend off my pressing guilt. I was going to meet my real mother that night and a part of me was terrified that Carol would have seen it as a betrayal. Tears stung unbidden in my eyes. She loved me as if I were her own daughter. It must have been so hard to raise me knowing that I never would truly belong to her. I wondered if it would make her sad to see me want to meet my real mother. The mother who never wanted me.

"Annabeth, don't you think it would be kind of perfect to wear this dress?" Piper asked softly.

I sniffled, "Why?"

She smiled faintly. "Because it would be like having your mom with you. This is a big step you're taking. Don't you want her there with you."

A single tear rolled down my cheek. Since when did crying become such a common occurrence for me? Around the same time Percy Jackson walked in to my life, I realized. It wasn't that he was the cause of the pain, but it was like he was the catalyst that allowed me to feel the pain. He made feel. Percy made it seem like it was okay to get emotional. I didn't know if I should yell at him or be grateful to him that I had become a blubbering mess.

"Piper's right. Your mom would want to be there with you, this is the best way she can. Wearing any other dress besides this one would be wrong." Thalia reasoned.

Would Carol really want to be there with me? I had to believe so. It was what I would have wanted if she were still alive. I would have wanted to face this new obstacle with her. Meeting my birth mother was what I wanted and I knew she would have supported me.

Carol had loved that dress, she only ever got to wear it twice. I always thought it was a shame that its beauty was waisted up there in the dank old attic. After all, what are beautiful things worth if they are never truly appreciated?

Athena could never replace Carol. Carol loved me even when she didn't have to, and I would be forever grateful to her for that.

Wearing the dress seemed like a good way to pay respect to Carol. She raised me and loved me, when my own mother wouldn't. Leaving that dress to rot on that rack would be like leaving Carol's love behind. I couldn't do it. Carol may be gone, but I could never replace her. She was with me every day. She was in every tear I shed and ever laugh I uttered. The dress just seemed like a more concrete way to have her with me.

"You're right, it would be wrong to not wear the dress."

"Ugh, where is he?" I said, pacing up and down my entryway. "He was supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago!"

"I hate to break it to you Annie, but punctuality is not one of my cousin's strong suits." Thalia said through bites of pizza.

Piper and Thalia were busy munching down pizza, while I watched. I couldn't eat because one, I was too nervous, and two, the idea of pizza sauce anywhere near this dress made me hyperventilate.

"PIZZA!" The twins squealed from the top of the staircase. They had noses like bloodhounds.

They flew down the stair as fast as their stubby little legs could take them. Their grubby hands were in the pizza box before Piper or Thalia could react.

"Did I hear someone say pizza?" My dad called from the living room.

Soon, him and my step mother were waltzing in and grabbing a slice.

"Yes, everyone, help yourselves." Thalia mumbled.

I laughed lightly.

"Guys, that Pizza was for Piper and Thalia."

Everyone looked to me when I spoke. It seemed that my entire families pizza had been forgotten as they took me in. My father seemed the most surprised at my outfit. His eyes seemed to bulge as he did a double take on my dress. It never even occurred to me until then that maybe I should have asked permission to wear mom's dress.

"Annabeth, that dress, it's gorgeous!" My stepmother gushed. I still wasn't used to this version of my stepmother, the one who was kind and complementary.

"Thanks, it was my mom's."

My stepmother's face fell. I had never realized until the day before how much guilt my stepmother harbored. I had always suspected that my her and my father had dated while my mother was still alive. I knew it had to be true however, other wise why would my mother feel such guilt. Just the thought brought a rise of hot hate through me. I ignored it, like I always did. I couldn't hate my father, he was all I had left. Or so I thought, until a few days ago.

My father remained speechless. He said nothing as the twins ran over to me to try to touch the flowing fabric of the dress. His face looked strained for a moment but then quickly shifted back to his regular neutral expression.

"Annie, you look like a princess!" Bobby exclaimed.

"Yeah! Are you going to a ball?" Matthew asked.

I laughed lightly, "No, just a banquet."

"You are really going to meet your mother?" My father asked.

I looked back to him. Apprehension was written all across his face. It was getting harder and harder not to resent my father. After all the lies and the cheating, he seemed less like my father and more like a disappointment.

"Yes, I am." I replied, looking straight into his eyes.

He must have seen something in them, because any fight that he was about to put up, quickly dissipated. There was a shift in the air between my father and I, and I didn't seem to be only one who noticed. The whole room was looking between the two of us with wary expressions.

"Isn't Percy suppose to be picking you up?" My stepmother asked.

It was her poor attempt at easing the tension in the room. I nodded slightly, trying to break out of my father and I's awkward bubble of tension.

The doorbell rang only a few seconds later.

Percy

Checking on the Half-Bloods had taken longer than I had expected. They were getting worse by the hour, and if they were lucky they had roughly around 36 hours left. 36 hours for me to convince Athena Minerva, her enemies son, that she should hand over a million dollar antidote. Yeah, tonight would be great.

After I had finished checking on the Half-Bloods, I had to run home and put on my suit. The only reason I even had a suit was because my mother made me buy one for homecoming the previous year. She thought it would be good, wholesome fun for her troubled son to attend a school dance. The second I left the house I changed out of my suit and drove around with Nico until we found an after party. There was fun, but it definitely was not wholesome.

My mother found me struggling to tie my neck tie in front of our hallway mirror.

"Here, let me," She said, reaching for me.

I stood still as she silently adjusted my tie.

She stood back when she was finished and silently shook her head.

"What? Did I miss a button?" I asked as I looked myself over.

"No." She said, quietly. "You just look so much like your father."

"I wish I looked more like you."

She smiled softly.

"Your father wasn't always like he is now, Percy. He used to be sweet." Her face took on a sort of wistfulness. "He used to bring me flowers for no reason. Or walk me to work. He used to be so kind."

I said nothing. My mother, for whatever reason, had loved my father. I had to bite my tongue not to say anything about the man he is now, because it would only hurt her.

"I should get going. I'm already running late."

"Right, of course. Have fun, sweetheart. And tell Annabeth I say 'hello'."

"Sure, Mom." I said. I pecked her cheek and walked out the door.

I ended up being fifteen minutes late, but we still had an hour until the banquet started, so I figured we'd be fine on time.

I rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer. I suddenly felt as though I should have brought something, flowers maybe? I felt strange standing on Annabeth's doorstep dressed in a suit, like we were going to prom. Do girls get a corsage for going to banquets? God, I was bad at this stuff.

I didn't have long to contemplate my empty handedness, because Piper answered the door.

"Oh, Percy! You look great!" Piper enthused. She stepped aside for me to come in.

"Thanks, Piper."

"Annabeth had to grab her purse, she'll be down in a second." Piper informed me. She kept a ridiculous grin pasted on her face. I had to look away because it was freaking me out.

"Well, look at this! My idiot cousin finally figured out how to dress." Thalia said, emerging from the corner.

"Says the girl who owns nothing but band t-shirt and black combat boots." I snorted.

"It's called rocker chic." She deadpanned.

"It's called 'I just rolled out of bed', actually." I countered.

"You are completely uncultured."

"I am plenty cultured." I argued.

"You wouldn't know what culture was if it slapped you in the-."

"God, I can't leave you two alone for two seconds!"

Annabeth stood at the top of the stairs, her hands resting on her hips. I swear I stopped breathing for a second. Annabeth didn't look real to me. The girl at the top of the stairs was not the girl I knew. The Annabeth I knew walked around in ripped jeans and extra-large sweatshirts. This Annabeth had an ethereal like quality I had never associated with anyone before, much less Annabeth. But, I had to admit, I didn't mind this version of her.

She moved down the stairs in slow motion or at least that's how it played out in my head. Her blonde curls were sleek and silky, falling across her bare shoulders.

She finally made the last step to stand in front of me, her dress falling in a metallic puddle at her feet. Up close it was easy to see the intricate detail of her tight bodice. Silver beads and jewels dotted it in careful swirls. The neckline was high secured by two thin straps.

"That's some dress, Chase." My voice came out deeper than I had anticipated. She raised her eyebrow, but didn't comment on in it.

"It was my mothers." She smiled.

I noticed then that her dress was the exact color of her eyes. I thought before that the dress wasn't Annabeth, but I was wrong. It was exactly her. Simple and beautiful.

"Well your mother had great taste."

"Yes, she did." Annabeth's father interjected.

I nodded to him from the entryway.

"Mr. Chase." I greeted

"Leave it to my father to compliment himself," I heard Annabeth mutter under her breath. I concealed my bubble of laughter with a cough.

"Well, I think we should get going, if we want to make it on time," I said after a moment of awkward silence.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Annabeth agreed.

Annabeth didn't wait for approval from anyone else, she just started walking towards the door. Her father was the one who stopped her.

"Annabeth, just don't get your hopes up too high. Athena isn't exactly great with surprises."

She turned around slightly to look at her father.

"Don't worry dad, I'm used to disappointment."

She was through the door before anyone could processes what she had said.

Every few minutes I would look over to Annabeth, while I was driving. She hadn't spoken, or even moved in the thirty minutes we had been in the car. I couldn't decide whether I should say anything. Chances are if I did, we'd end up fighting. I really couldn't afford to be fighting with her, considering the Half Bloods' lives depended on Annabeth getting me near Athena. I couldn't very well do that if Annabeth would inevitably be giving me the silent treatment. It was her go to defense mechanism. It was childish, but effective.

Turns out I didn't have to make the choice to say something. Annabeth made it for me.

"I can't believe my dad decides to be my father now, after all of these years! I mean really, telling me not get my hopes up! Where did that even come from?" She ranted, hands failing.

I looked over to her quickly. Her cheeks and neck were flushed with anger.

"I don't see what the big deal is, he was just looking out for you." I said.

She gave a sarcastic puff of a laugh.

"He has never looked out for me."

"Well, whatever he's done, at least he's been around. My father abandoned me and my mom. You're dad is still around. In my book, that's a pretty good dad."

She sighed and her eyes fell to her hands that were fisting into the delicate fabric of her dress.

"Percy, I understand that your relationship with your father is...strained, but that doesn't mean that my relationship is any less messed up."

I let out a bitter laugh.

"Really, Annabeth? What has your father ever done that could possibly compare to mine abandoning and blackmailing me for my entire life?"

She looked over to me with a pained expression.

"How about cheating on my mother while she was dying of cancer in a hospital room? Is that equal enough for you, Percy?"  
My grip on the steering wheel loosened and I let my eyes flutter shut briefly. Well shit.

"Annabeth, I'm sorry."

She played with beads on her dress, carefully running her finger over each shiny orb.

"I had always suspected it. It was why I've always hated my stepmother. I always held this grudge against her, like it was her fault that my father cheated." Annabeth's voice was soft and broken.

"How do you know that...that really happened?" I ask, carefully.

"Yesterday, my stepmother, she was so upset and so guilty when I was talking about my mother. I have never seen her like that before. She actually apologized to me for 'messing up my life'."  
"Annabeth, that doesn't mean that they cheated."

She nodded her head slightly, "I know."

"But a miscarriage a few weeks after my mom died, does."

She was looking out her side window, away from me. I wondered if she had ever told anyone this, if she had ever spoken about the kind of person her father really was.

"I didn't even know what a miscarriage was when I was that young. I had heard the two of them talking about it, so at their wedding I asked someone what it meant. I still didn't quite understand it, but I knew enough. It was why I ran away."

We were pulling up to the banquet hall finally. We had to wait in line to get to the entrance where valet was letting people out of cars.

"Annabeth, what your father did, it was awful. I can't imagine anyone doing that to someone they are supposed to love. I don't blame you for never forgiving him."

I could really look at her then, now that I wasn't driving. Her eyes were glistening with wet tears that I knew she wasn't going to let fall.

"But you have a chance to meet your real mother. You get a shot at having another parent. Don't let your father and his terrible actions ruin that for you tonight."

Her lips curved slightly and she wrapped her hand around mine for a second.

"Thanks, Percy. And by the way, your dad sucks too."

I snorted.

"At least we can agree on something."

Annabeth

Percy easily slipped us through security. He had someone how gotten a peek at the guest list and given the bouncers fake names. How he managed, I had no idea.

The banquet hall was gorgeous, as expected, along with all the people who were standing in it. Everyone was dressed to the nines. I was surprised at how comfortable I was in my mother's dress. Maybe it was cliche, but it felt like I was meant to wear that dress. Wow, that was extremely cliche. Before I could dwell on my strange new sentiments, Percy rested his hand on my back.

His fingers brushed my bareback and I froze momentarily. Percy noticed, unfortunately.

"Hey, are you okay? Are you nervous?"

I wasn't. But, I'd rather not admit that his fingers sent sparks running up my spine. Nerves seemed like a less complicated solution.

"Yeah."

"You'll be fine. She'll love you, and I'll be with you the entire time."  
That was the problem. Percy in jeans and a t-shirt was distracting enough, Percy in a tux was inebriating.

His suit was black, nearly the same color of his hair, causing his green eyes to stand out. They were the greenest I'd ever seen them. My heels allowed me be closer to Percy's height and I was able to a see a ring of blue around his pupil that I'd never noticed before.

"Seriously, Annabeth, it'll be okay."

I hadn't realized I was staring until Percy had spoken.

"Right, yeah. I know." I replied.

He gave me an inquisitive look, but chose not to comment. He just pulled me farther into the banquet hall.

The room was massive, with high wooden ceilings that funneled to a dome shape in the center of the room, adorned by the most exquisite chandelier I had ever seen. It was held together with golden branches that stemmed from its center, its crystals like leaves dangling from the golden rods.

My eyes continued to roam around the room as we made our way through the white cloaked tables that were set with silverware and large bouquets at their centers. In the middle of the room, under the chandelier, was a wooden dance floor, where couples were swaying to the orchestra playing in the far left corner.

Next to the band a slide show was playing, it was displaying pictures and statistics of their charity. It seemed to be some charity for the homeless. I watched as the screen slid to its last slide. It was a slide thanking the charities most prominent benefactors, at the top of the list was Athena Minerva.

She had to be here somewhere. I had looked up her picture before I left, she looked the same as she did in the pictures my father had shown me. I had looked at those pictures so long it seemed that her face was burned into my skull. I continued to scour the room but I couldn't find the telling jet black hair of my mother.

"Do you see her?" I asked Percy

He shook his head slightly. He seemed almost as frustrated as me. It was kind of cute.

"Oh, I think that's her," Percy said, nodding to a woman on the dance floor. She had long black hair, but it was too difficult to make out her features from here.

"Come on." I grabbed Percy's arm and weaved us through the tables to the dance floor.

"Annabeth, I don't know about this-". I didn't wait for Percy's acceptance, I simply grabbed his hand and rested my other on his shoulder. He relented soon after and rested the hand not clasped in mine, to my waist.

"Annabeth, I don't like dancing." Percy said through gritted teeth.

I rolled my eyes.

"Seriously, you will practically lead a gang war, but you won't partake in a simple waltz?" I said, looking up into his eyes.

We were very close, meer inches separated us. He flexed the fingers that were rested on my back causing me to audibly gulp. Percy smirked. Asshole.

"Did I mention how much I like this dress?" He asked.

He still had a stupid grin on his face. I ignored it the best I could.

"Twirl us closer to my mother, I want to make sure its her." I told him.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not much of a twirler."

I let out an exasperated sigh.

"Fine, just get me close to her." I compromised.

Percy pulled me tighter to him, if that were even possible, and maneuvered our feet in the direction of my 'hopefully mother'. He was surprisingly light on his feet. We were quickly a few feet away from the black-haired woman.

"I must say Jackson, I'm impressed. I thought couldn't dance." I complimented.

"I said I didn't like to dance. When I was six my mother said I either had to take dance lessons or go to charm school. I choose dance lessons, looking back, charm school probably would have been the better choice." He smirked to himself.

I laughed. I loved hearing stories of Percy as a kid, he was so innocent. So untainted. Childhood Percy was just happier.

"Possible Mama Minerva on your left," Percy whispered.

"Mama Minerva?" I questioned.

"Whatever, just look."

My lips tilted. I looked over his shoulder to my left, and my breath caught. It was her, my mother. She was gorgeous, like her pictures. She was thin and tall, the epitome of elegance. Her long neck was adorned with a diamond necklace that looked like it was worth more than every house in my neighborhood combined. Her dress was long and shimmering navy blue, falling slightly past her knees. Her sleeved arms were resting on the shoulders of a man I didn't recognize. I had researched Athena and she had never remarried, and as far I could tell she didn't have a boyfriend. She seemed to be too busy running a fortune five hundred company.

"Is it her?" Percy asked.

"Yeah." I breathed.

Percy's shoulders relaxed for some reason. He was really worried for me, it was sweet.

I continued to stare at my mother, trying to memorize every aspect of her. She must have felt my stare, because she made eye contact with me.

Her eyes really were the same color as mine. Grey against grey. She looked momentarily surprised, but she hid it quickly. She knew who I was. I could see it in her eyes clearly. Recognition.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I had held. I felt instantly awkward. There I was watching the mother I've never met before dance across the room, while I stood swaying with a goofy grin on my face.

The song ended soon after, and Athena made her way off the dance floor. I nearly tripped over my dress going after her. Of course, Percy caught me around the waist, because it seemed that clichés were becoming a pattern that night.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his big green eyes filled with concern.  
Why did he have to be so attractive? Whoa, wait. No, I am not supposed to be attracted to Percy. He's my friend. My partner. Annabeth get your head in the game, I reminded myself. Get to Athena.

"Yeah fine," I said quickly righting myself and following Athena.

Athena was about to sit down at her table, but I grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Athena! I mean, Ms. Minerva, may I speak with you?" I ask, a little too hopeful.

"I'm sorry dear, but I really must get back to my table." Her voice was smooth and velvety, exactly as I suspected.

"Don't you know who I am?" I whispered so others around us didn't hear.

Athena sighed. She steered me near the back of the room.

"Yes, I know who you are. You're my daughter." She whispered.

My face broke out into a glorious smile.

"Yes, I am. My name is Annabeth, if you didn't already know."

"I know what your name is, I chose it my self." She said.

"Oh, right of course." I took a deep breath. I hadn't been nervous before, but I was beginning to feel the nerves then.

"I have so many questions for you," I began to say.

"Annabeth, this really isn't the time to be having this conversation." She said gently.

I scrunched my eyebrows together.

"Well, then when?" I asked.

Athena gave me a soft smile.

"Annabeth, we can't have this conversation here, or anywhere. There is a reason I gave you up. I need you to trust that those were good reasons." She said.

I shook my head.

"No, I can't trust that, because I don't even know you. I want to though, I want to know my real mother." My voice was starting to sound shaky and I hated it.

"And I wish I could know you as my daughter, but there are some things in this world that we can not change."

"You're not making any sense!" I argued.

Athena spotted something over my shoulder and her grey eyes grew panicked.

"You need to leave now!" She practically yelled at me.

I turned to look for what she had seen, but all I saw was Percy walking towards of with a worried expression.

"Annabeth, leave. Now!" My mother was practically frantic.

"What's wrong?" I asked, worried.

I felt a warm hand slip onto the small of my back, and I instantly relaxed.

My mother had a horrified look on her face.

"You," she pointed straight at Percy, "stay away from my daughter."

Percy's jaw locked. It was my turn to give my mother a horrified look.

"Ms. Minerva, it is not what you think." Percy said.

"You are following my daughter. It is exactly what I think!"

"Athena, Percy is my friend. I don't know what you're thinking, but whatever it is, it's wrong!" I said.

Her eyes slid back to mine.

"Friend?"

I nodded slowly.

Athena's lips settled into a thin line.

"Annabeth, I'd like to speak to your friend, in private." She said through tense lips.

"What? Why? I came here to talk to you, not so you and Percy could talk." I said, confused.

Percy looked to me, "Annabeth, it's okay. Let me just speak to your mother." He gave me a reassuring smile.

My eyebrows were raised, but I finally consented.

"Okay... Just find me when you're done I guess."

He nodded.

Percy bent to to whisper in my ear.

"It'll be okay. I promise."

Percy

Athena moved us farther into the corner of the room. She was tall, about my height, and very intimidating.

"What are doing with my daughter?" She demanded.

I held up my hand to try to calm her.

"Annabeth and I are friends. I'm not going to hurt her."

"Really, you expect me to believe that, when your father was the one who nearly killed her."

I clenched my jaw.

"My father is no longer a threat, I assure you."

"I will not take the word of a seventeen year old gang leader. Especially, not when it concerns my daughter's life!" Athena ranted.

"I understand the you're skeptical, but I'm protecting your daughter. I wouldn't let anything happen to her." I said, calmly.

"You will stay away from daughter." She said.

"I'm the one who saved Annabeth's life! I had no idea what my father was involved in her attack. When I found out what my father did, I made sure he would never touch Annabeth again. She is safe with me." I explained.

Athena narrowed her eyes at me. It was uncanny how much they resembled Annabeth's. Her stare was just as intimidating, too.

"The only people she is safe with, are the Titans. They are the one's who are supposed to be protecting her, not you."

"Does protecting Annabeth involve poisoning my Half Bloods?" I asked, bitterly.

She tilted her head, black strands of silken hair falling into her face.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, skeptically.

"The Titans injected my Half Bloods with Keres. The only place they could have gotten that kind of poison is from their backer. You." I said.

She took in a strained breath.

"When did this happen?"

"Yesterday. So, unless you want the blood of fifty teenagers on your hand, you will give me the cure."

"This is why you are really here, isn't it. It's not to protect Annabeth. You came for the cure."

I involuntarily looked back to Annabeth, who looked extremely uncomfortable standing by herself. Annabeth thought I was here for her, and under normal circumstances I might be. However, the Half Bloods lives were on the line, and I swore I would save them. I couldn't break that promise.

"Yes, I came here for the cure. I had no choice. That doesn't change the fact that I care about Annabeth, though." I implored.

She squinted her eyes at me in suspicion.

"How much does this cure mean to you?" She asked, after a few beats of silence.

"Everything. I'll do anything for it." I said.

He blood, red lips formed a slight smile.

"In that case, I will make a deal with you, Perseus Jackson."

I winced at my full name.

"Fine," I agreed.

"In exchange for the cure, you and your Half Bloods will stay away from my daughter for good."

Her deal was simple. It was easy, as far as deals went. At least it should have been easy, but the thought of staying away from Annabeth forever was… heartbreaking. I had never allowed myself to think about what Annabeth really meant to me until that moment. The prospect of her not being in my life was enough to make me realize how much I really cared about Annabeth. I had never known how much I had wanted to be with Annabeth, until the idea of never seeing her again was my only option.

I had no choice. The Half Blood's lives were on the line.

"Fine, deal. I need the cure now." The deal was made through gritted teeth and fisted hands.

She smirked at me. She grabbed a small napkin from a table and pulled a pen out of her purse. She bent over to write something down. When she was finished handed the napkin to me.

"Here is the address where you will find the cure, when you get here, use the code written on the napkin."

I nodded and stuffed the napkin into my pocket. I didn't wait for her to say anything else. I walked straight towards Annabeth. Athena caught my arm before I got close to Annabeth.

"You may take Annabeth home tonight, but after that, you will never see her again. If you do not do as I say, you should know that I have more Kere saved for a rainy day." She whispered her thinly veiled threat into my ear.

My nostrils flared, but I said nothing. I just broke from her grasp and made my way towards Annabeth. Athena continued to follow me.

"Hey," Annabeth said when I made it to her. She gave me a worried expression when she saw my face, but I said nothing.

"Annabeth, dear, I must get back to the banquet. However, tomorrow at twelve o'clock, meet me at the Pavilion on second street. We will talk there." Before Annabeth could argue, Athena kissed Annabeth's cheek and sauntered back to her table.

I couldn't hide my sneer. I was glad Annabeth missed it, though. She stood next to me gleaming at her mother's retreating form.

"Come on, Annabeth. We should go." I said in a defeated voice. She looked over to me and nodded slowly.

….

The car ride back to Annabeth's house was silent. I knew Annabeth was itching to ask me questions about my conversation with her mother, but she held her tongue, for which I was grateful.

I should have been ecstatic that I was getting the cure for the Half Bloods, but it seemed bitter sweet. I would ensure the safety of my gang, but Annabeth would no longer be a part of my life. A pang of hurt echoed in my chest.

I wish I would have kept up a steady conversation with Annabeth on the ride home, but I had no idea what to say. I couldn't tell her that we couldn't see each other anymore. She would ask why and that would lead to answers that would only inevitably hurting her more. My lies were catching up with me and there was nothing I could do about it.

When I pulled up to her house, my body felt like lead. I didn't want to move. I wanted us to stay in that moment of comfortable silence forever. I, unfortunately had to break it.

"I'll walk you to your door." I said, quietly.

"Okay." Annabeth whispered.

The walk to her door was entirely too short for me. Her hand was wrapped around my arm by the time we made it to her doorstep. She had her heels in her other hand, returning her to her normal height. I had to look down at her to see into her stormy eyes.

"Thank you for tonight, Percy. It meant a lot to me that you came with me." She said. She was looking up at me with such admiration. It made my chest hurt. Her eyes slid from mine to my lips and it made stomach swoop. Before I knew what I was doing, I had grabbed her by her hips and pressed her lips to mine.

Her lips were soft and warm, sending currents through my body. The kiss was slow at first, but quickly became heated. I was never going have this with her again, and I was determined to get everything I could out of it. Annabeth moaned softly in my arms. I reacted by pulling her flush against me, as her small hands rose up to tangle with my hair.

Our lips moved together in synchronicity. My tongue ran across her lower lip and she opened her mouth slightly, allowing me better access. Annabeth bit my bottom lip and I let out a low growl in response.

She smiled against my lips and it was like ice water to my veins. I had been so selfish, I hadn't once considered Annabeth's feelings. I would never speak to her again after this night and I had no idea what that would do to her. Kissing her was goodbye for me, but for her, it was a new beginning. I closed my eyes for a moment, still holding her close. Her warm breath mingling with mine.

My hands fell away from her hips and I took a step away from her.

"Goodbye, Annabeth." I whispered.

"Good night, Percy." She breathed.

I looked into her grey eyes one last time, and the hope swirling inside of them tore at me. I turned around and I didn't look back. I had to forget about Annabeth, the Half Bloods lives depended on it.

A/N- I'm BAACCKKK! Just like I promised! I hope everyone had a great holiday (If you live in the states). You all probably hate me after this chapter (oops). I gotta say, the ending was not planned. I really didn't want to leave you guys on another cliffhanger, but the ending pretty much just wrote itself. Anyway, thank you all for putting up with my long absence. I hope this super long chapter makes up for it! Reviews are appreciated, as always! Oh, and also, if you want to see Annabeth's dress copy this link: pin/171277592053527493/


	12. Chapter 12

Annabeth

For the first time in weeks I wasn't woken by nightmares. Instead, I had woken with a smile on my face. I couldn't help but think it was because of last night. I had met my mother and we were going to actually get to talk today, and I couldn't wait. There was also the kiss. It had been unexpected, but completely welcomed. For weeks, I had been trying to keep my feelings for Percy completely platonic.

Percy and I were good as friends, it was easy. However, if last night was any indication, Percy and I could be so much more. I had thought that our lives were much too complicated to ever be anything more than just friends. Percy has to the run the Half-Bloods under the watchful eye of his father, and I still have the task of uncovering who is trying to hurt me.

I realized something last night, though. Percy and I were better together. We made a good team, we had each other's backs. Maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if we became something more. Maybe it would be the best thing.

I was getting ahead of myself, I had no idea what Percy was thinking. I didn't know what his intentions were with the kiss. Although, I knew Percy wouldn't do anything to jeopardize our friendship unless he was all in.

A small smile slipped onto my face at all of the possibilities. God, I'd turned into a blushing schoolgirl. I part of me loved and hated myself for it. I shook my head to, I would talk to Percy later. I needed to worry about meeting my mother for lunch.

What does one wear to meet their mother who abandoned you as a child, but also just so happens to be a billionaire? Some how, I don't think that's a question many people ask themselves.

I pulled myself out of bed and I checked my phone for the time. It was nine o'clock, which meant I had plenty of time to get ready. It also meant that my nerves had an enormous amount of time to run rampant. I decided to take a shower in hopes that the warm water would settle my flaring nerves.

The shower did little for my nerves, but getting ready did help. I had little time to think about actually meeting my mother. I was too busy trying on outfit after outfit.

I finally settled on a thick grey sweater dress with white detailing, along with thick grey stockings. With boots, a nice jacket, and a bright red scarf wrapped around my neck, I felt confident in my outfit choice.

I walked down stairs for the first time all morning. I hadn't spoken to any of my family when I had gotten home last night because they were all in bed. I had no idea how deep my resentment towards my father ran until yesterday when I blew up at him. It seemed since the my anger was finally uncapped there was no going back. The hatred I felt yesterday was not tempered like I expected it to be. In fact it ran even hotter at the sight of my father sitting casually reader the paper at the kitchen table.

A part of me was a ashamed at myself for the amount of anger I felt towards my own father. But, the more dominant part of myself reveled in the resentment and hostility towards him. It frightened me slightly.

As I walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of orange juice, I realized that my step mother was in the kitchen cooking pancakes. The twins were both on stools helping her make the batter while she worked the kettle, flipping the pancakes.

The twins giggled with glee as their mother would every once in a while, flick a bit of white flour on their noses. I smiled slightly too myself. My stepmother really was a great mom. I had always held onto such bitterness towards her that I never noticed it.

Ever since my father married my stepmother, I had hated her. I always thought she hated me, but I now know that wasn't the case. She was just guilty for cheating on my mother. I had always been horrible to her, so my stepmother had just given up on me, and learned to ignore my comments. Pretty soon she was ignoring me all together, and that was why I had always felt so neglected. I had put myself in my own little bubble, and by the time I realized I didn't want to be alone, it was too late.

I couldn't keep blaming my stepmother for my father's mistakes. Sure, what they had done was terrible, but in the end, it was my father who had screwed up. My stepmother wasn't the one that had vowed monogamy to my mother, and it wasn't my stepmother who had promised to stay with my mother in sickness and in health. It was my father. He was the person at fault all of these years and I had refused to see it.

When I finally came to terms with my father's betrayal, I didn't think I would ever be able to forgive him. But, maybe I could forgive my stepmother.

"Hey, do you guys want some help?" I asked, after watching them for a beat.

My stepmother was surprised by my voice and turned around to look at me, startled. She recovered quickly, and a brilliant smile overtook her face.

"Of course, Annabeth. That would be lovely."

For the rest of the morning I helped my stepmother and the twins work in the kitchen. When it was time for me to leave, I said goodbye to the twins and to my stepmother. I walked right past my father without a word.

…

I made it to The Pavilion about ten minutes early. I walked inside and saw no sign of my mother. I walked over to the hostess, and told her my mother's name, and she showed us to our table.

At exactly noon, my mother arrived. She really was beautiful, and it made me slightly annoyed that I didn't take after her more. Her long black hair was straight and parted severely down the middle. She wore a sharp grey pant suit underneath a violet peacoat. She oosed grace and style. I suddenly felt the sharp knives of nerves pricking my stomach.

I quickly stumbled to my feet when I saw her approaching form. She saw me and she gave me a smile and a nod of acknowledgment. When she made it over to me she gave me peck on both cheeks and sat down across from me.

"Hello Annabeth, how are you?" She asked, while she elegantly placed a cloth napkin across her lap.

"I'm good," I said.

"You are well," Athena corrected.

I cringed inwardly. I suddenly had a horrible feeling that this was going to be a very long lunch.

"How are you...Mom?" I asked.

She pursed her lips.

"I'm well. I asked you here to discuss some things."

I nodded slowly, "What did you want to talk about?"

"When you came to me last night, I was...surprised to say the least." Athena said.

I nodded again, "I noticed."

"When I gave you up when you were a baby, I never expected to see you again. I've always kept watch over you, but I never intended to meet you in person."

"Why did you give me up?" I asked. It was all I wanted to know. Ever since I had found out that Athena was my mother, I wanted to know why she had abandoned me.

"That is a very complicated answer, one I'm not sure you even would want to hear." She said, carefully.

Of course, more secrets. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Whatever you are going to say, I assure you, I can handle it." I told Athena.

She pursed hers lips, but nodded anyway.

"As a child, I grew up in a wealthy family. My parents, your grandparents, already owned several companies and it was my birthright to take those companies. I have been groomed since birth to be a corporate shark."

I nodded my head to show her I was listening.

"When I was around 22, I met your father. That was also around the time that I was taking more responsibilities for my father's main company, Olympus Corps. It was one of the best times of my life." Her voice lowered to a whisper, and her grey eyes turned hazy.

"Of course, good times never last. At the time there was another company who was just starting out that was gaining a lot of attention, Four Seas Enterprises."

I scrunched my eyebrows together, where was this going?

"Poseidon's company? What does that have to do with anything?" I asked.

She gave me a stern look and continued as if I had said nothing.

"Poseidon has always held a grudge against me. He has despised me for growing up in a life of privilege. He's never thought I deserved the success I have gained."

I shook my head, "Wait, did you two grow up together?"

"In a way, we went to the same high school. I was the top of my class at a prestigious private school. Poseidon is a very smart man, and he was allowed to go to the school on scholarship." Athena said.

She sighed as if she was reliving a painful memory.

"I was young and stupid, and he was handsome and dangerous. I have no idea how it happened, but we fell in love in high school. But all good things must come to an end, as they say."

Athena refocused on my face, causing her dark locks to fall into her face, casting a shadow over her features.

"My father found out that I was dating Poseidon and he threatened not to pay for my college if I choose not to break up with him. I had no choice, I broke it off. Poseidon didn't take it very well, he grew to hate me. He accused me of being selfish. He became bitter and distant, especially when I went off to college. That was around the time he created the Half-Bloods." Athena shook her head in shame.

"He was so smart, he could have gone anywhere on scholarship for college. Instead, he stayed with the Half-Bloods."

My stomach started to feel unsettled, and for some reason I knew I wouldn't like where this was going.

"Poseidon used the Half-Bloods to start a less than admirable business. Four Seas Enterprises was built on lies, greed, and dirty money." Athena explained.

"Poseidon and I were bidding on the same small company around the time your father and I had broken up. I had some researchers look into Poseidon's company, and they found evidence of money laundering." Athena unconsciously looked down to her belly, her hand ghosting over her midriff.

Athena looked back to me with her grey eyes pouring into mine. In that moment I knew Poseidon had done something terrible, and it had to do with me.

"This was also around the time I found out I was pregnant with you."

She paused to look at me, trepidation written across her features.

"What did Poseidon do?" I forced myself to ask.

Athena's shoulders slumped.

"I did my best to keep the pregnancy a secret, I hadn't even told your father in hopes that Poseidon would not find out. After I gave birth to you, unfortunately, I couldn't keep it a secret any longer. Poseidon found out and threatened your life if I went to the police with evidence of his money laundering."

Bile rose to my throat and I struggled to swallow down the burn. Percy's father had threatened an infant's life, my life, just to stay out of jail. There were dots struggling to connect in my mind, but I refused to let them. Everything that had been happening in the last month, I had a horrible feeling it had to do with Poseidon, and by default, Percy.

Percy. Did he know about any of this? Had he been lying to me this whole time? No. It wasn't possible. Percy was my partner, my friend, my...something.

"Annabeth, I know you trust Percy. However, you can not. He is truly his father's son."

Athena had leaned forward, her palms flat on the table. She wanted me to believe her, and a part of me did. I hated that part of myself.

I started to shake my head, physically resisting her words.

The waiter walked up then, his pen and paper ready, completely oblvious the stifling tension between Athena and I.

"So, what can I get-"

"No, you're lying!" I cut off the waiter. He gave me a look of bewilderment.

"Annabeth, I know you care for him. But don't you see, you're just repeating history. You are in love with Percy as I was in love with Poseidon. It will end the same as it did twenty five years ago, with anger and resentment."

Was she right? Did I really love Percy and that was why I refused to believe Percy knew any of this?

I shook my head so violently my neck started to ache. I had to leave, suddenly everything was too loud and the room was too stuffy.

I got up so abruptly that the chair behind me flipped over. I was only slightly aware of the scene I was causing. At the moment I didn't care. I just had to get away from the lies, or was it the truth? The confusion was dizzying.

"Annabeth wait!" Athena's distressed voice made me pause in my attempt to escape.

Her cool and collected demeanor had cracked, revealing a frantic women.

"I gave you up when you were a baby to keep you safe. I changed your last name to Chase and gave you to your father. I wanted you as far away from me as possible. But, I have kept tabs on you ever since."

A few seconds ago I couldn't leave that restaurant fast enough, now it felt as though every muscle in body was locked.

"I have missed out on seventeen years of my daughter's life to keep you safe, and I will not have you risk your life because you have feelings for a street rat!"

Athena was standing in front of me in all of her tall and intimidating glory.

"Exactly, you have never been in my life, and you never planned to be. You may have had your reasons for giving me away, but that doesn't give you the right to start acting like my mother."

I was fuming. All of my pent up anger seeping over. I resented my mother for giving me up. She let me go without a second thought, to a father who only cared about himself. And now she was accusing Percy of being a 'street rat'. I couldn't take it, the lies and the deceit were so exhausting I could feel fatigue settling in my bones, screaming at me to sit. I refused, I had to stand my ground against Athena.

"I came here for answers, but all you are giving me are excuses." My frustration finally gave in and my voice rang out in the silent restaurant. I'm positive they would have asked us to leave if Athena wasn't so powerful.

Athena's eyes blazed anger. She grabbed me by my elbow and pulled me out of the restaurant.

"I would have hoped your father had raised you to be smarter." She hissed at me when we made it to an alley behind the restaurant.

I ripped my arm away from Athena's hold.

"Are you really so blinded by your feelings that you can't see what is going on?"

A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

"Of course you are. You are just as naive as I was years ago."  
I huffed, "Stop comparing me to you. You know nothing about me."

"I know that you are so blinded by your feelings for Percy, that you can't even put together the fact that Poseidon is the one who hired the hit on you. And to top it off Percy has known about this whole time."

The resounding silence that followed Athena's declaration was crippling. I vaguely wondered how Athena even knew about the attack. But that thought slipped away as Athena's words sunk in. My body revolted against her words, deep in my bones. However, in my gut I knew it was true. I had always known it was true. I had just refused to see it. All of the warnings I had received from the Titan's, my mother's reaction to Percy, Percy's insistence that I stay away from the Titans, it all was a part of one colossal lie. Or cover up.

"I can see it in your eyes Annabeth, you know what I am saying is true. Now you understand why you must stay away from Percy."

I ignored her.

"Why now? Why, after all of these years, did Poseidon decide to go after me?"

My own voice surprised me, the complete void of emotion was startling.

Athena opened her mouth to retort, but she floundered for words.

"What did you do?" This time my voice cracked, however the conviction behind my words were not lost.

"What Poseidon is doing is illegal, he is using dirty money to get ahead. I got tired of it, so I tried to go to the police. Then you were attacked, so I backed off. Until I realized that was a mistake. Poseidon should be in jail."

"The Titan's are protecting you, in exchange for aid in taking down the Half-Bloods. I can kill two birds with one stone, protect you and take down the life blood behind Poseidon's dirty company." Athena explained.

It finally made sense why the Titans were protecting me. Athena had paid them in exchange for help in the war against the Half-Bloods. She really had everything figured out, she thought she could control everything. Unfortunately, I don't think she understood the fallout from her plan. Many lives would be lost because she had single handedly started a gang war.

"Are you crazy? You have started a gang war that will only lead to blood shed. These people are just teenagers! They will die!"

"They are delinquents who are a part of the injustice in our city. No one will miss them anyway." Athena's voice was cold and calculating.

I did nothing to mask the horror that crossed my face.

"You are insane. Some of those people are truly good, they don't deserve this." I implored.

"Good?" She laughed bitterly in my face. "Who is the crazy one now? The Half-Bloods tried to have you killed? Are you really that stupid that you can't see that?"

I flinched at her words, I had been called a lot of things in my life, but stupid was not one of them.

"Yes, I understand that. And trust me when I say that I will never, ever, be able to forgive them for their betrayal. But I can't bring myself to want to see them all dead. Or to see New York City, the city I love, burned to the ground over your revenge trip!"

"Whatever happens, it will be for the better. Both gangs have caused such corruption to this city, that whatever damage they do to this city, will be nothing compared to the good that will come from both gang's annihilation."

"I can't believe I ever thought that you could be my mother, someone I could look up to. I'm embarrassed to be your daughter."

Hurt flashed through her stormy grey eyes, but they quickly steeled over. I turned away from her and began walking back to the street.

"And tell the Titan's I don't want them anywhere near me. If they so much as step within fifty feet of me, I'll have them arrested." I threw over my shoulder.

I didn't look back, I couldn't. If I did I knew I would lose it. Once I made it to the street, I ran. I ran as far as I could until my lungs started to burn. I lent against the first building I found. Every emotion that I had stifled down in front of my mother came washing over me with a vengeance.

Heartbreak. Betrayal. Fear. Confusion. Disappointment. Hate. All of them threatened to snap me in half. The pain was worse than any beating, or verbal smack down I had ever experienced.

It was because of Percy. I had trusted him and believed him against my better judgment. I always knew that him finding me was a strange coincidence. But it wasn't a coincidence. It was all planned. He wanted to gain my trust after his father had me nearly murdered. Then he went on to lie to me for months.

I had been stupid enough to begin to care for him. I thought nothing could ever hurt more than my father's betrayal, but boy was I wrong.

It felt like there was a gaping hole in my chest, and I didn't know if there ever would be a time when it would feel whole again.

I began to hyperventilate as sobs tore at my chest. My legs gave out and I slipped to the cold cement, along with the remnants of my heart.

…

Percy

I bursted through the doors of the shop, heading straight for the back, where all of the infected would be. I had texted Nico about an hour earlier that I had picked up all of the antidote. The pickup was easy enough, all I had to do was go to the site designated by Athena, and talk to a few guards. They handed me the briefcase full of anecdote easily. Athena followed through with her side of the deal, and I intended to go through with my side.

Nico was waiting at the back by the door. He looked like crap. His pale skin seemed impossibly paler. The dark circles under his eyes were prominent under the florescent lights, and his hair was mussed up, as if he had been running his hands through his hair repeatedly.

"Do you have it?" Nico seemed to jump back to life at the sight of my presence.

"Yeah, I have it. Are they all in there?" I asked, referring to the Half-Bloods.

"They're all back there. It's bad Perce." A shadow seemed to cross Nico's face. His usually joking demeanor was replaced by a solemn look.

My grip on the briefcase tightened. I moved past Nico into the room in the shop that Nico and I had set up as a makeshift sick ward. All of the Half-Bloods were lying on cots or couches. The room was completely quiet except for the occasional moan or cough. Blue protruding veins were visible across the entire expanse of each Half-Bloods skin. The poison was quickly spreading and soon it would reach their hearts, delivering a fatal blow.

Nico and I were quick in filling needles with the cure. Soon the entire room had been delivered with the cure. Now came the hard part, the insufferable waiting. I had no guarantee that this cure was going to work. If it didn't, then what? I'd have to sit by and watch the men I had trained and mentored die. The thought itself felt like someone had taken a fist to my lungs in a bruising grip.

Nico and I moved to the front of the shop to let the guys rest. We sat in silence for a while before anyone spoke. The gravity of the situation weighed so heavily upon us, clouding the air.

Nico was the first to speak.

"So, what now?" That very same question had been playing on repeat in my head for the past hour. Luke and Kronos had delivered a killing blow, and it seemed it was my turn to do the same. Everything in me wanted to take Luke by the throat and have my way with him. But, how could I give the orders to kill an entire group of men, teenagers?

I knew there was a darkness in me, but a part of me had always yearned to be better. That was a part of the reason I drew to Annabeth so easily. She was my act of goodness, and my reminder to be better. I had traded Annabeth for Half-Bloods lives. The decision should have been easy, a girl I barely knew for the lives of my brothers. It should have been.

Wanting Annabeth was selfish. She had a future with a college degree, and a shiny white picket fence to go along with it. I would ruin it anyway. If she even lived to see the day. The dark thought plagued my mind behind all of the my other problems. I had to trust the Titans to keep Annabeth safe, but how could they do that if they were in a war with the Half-Bloods. When Annabeth was with me, I could keep an eye on. I could always know she was okay.

Now, I couldn't even see her. Another fist clutched my chest, this time around my heart. I had to give her up, and my last bit of goodness along with it.

I inhaled through my nose, a low whistle escaping me.

"I don't know, Nico." I whispered.

…

I must have dozed off at some point in the night, because by the time I woke up the sun was shining brightly through the shop windows. I was alone on the couch, which meant that Nico was already up. I got up quickly, my once crisp white dress shirt, a crumpled mess. I quickly rolled up my sleeves as I walked to the sick ward. Last night the room was stale and quiet, this morning there was laughter and easy conversation.

The noise brought a broad and relieved smile to my face.

Everyone's skin was clearing up, and besides looking a little pale, they all were the epitome of health. Grover was the first to see me standing in the doorway, and he offered me a bright smile.

"The savior awakes," he proclaimed.

I let out a low chuckle. All of the men turned to look at me and the looks of gratitude and pure adoration startled me. My men have always looked at me with respect, but they have never looked at me like I had hung the moon, like they were then.

"You did it Perce, you saved us." Will said.

"Yeah, I gotta say, I think we all kind of had our doubts." Connor stoll said. His brother was the one to smack him over the head.

"Seriously Percy thank you. You saved our lives." Travis Stoll said. I nodded my head in thanks. All of the guys started to nod in agreement and murmurs of thank you's rolled through the room.

"How'd you get the cure?" Nico asked. Honestly, I was surprised he hadn't asked me yet. Nico was always in search for answers. I had been dreading the question. Speaking the deal out loud would make it too final for me. So I just shook my head, and that was enough for Nico to let it go, for now anyway.

"I just want to say, I'm sorry." Grover said. "We never should have gone out without your permission. This cure couldn't have been easy to get. What ever price you had to pay, we'll work to pay it off."

The entire room nodded their head in agreement. If only it were that easy.

"I didn't get the cure with money. I had to give up something. I appreciate that you guys want to help out, but the truth is, you can't help me. But, what you can do, is promise to talk to me before you do anything like is. We got lucky this time, next time we probably won't be."

The entire room once again nodded their heads in promise.

"You guys need to get home, your parents are probably worried. And you deserve some rest, in your own beds."

The guys started to shuffle to their feet and gather what little belongings they had brought with them. The room was starting to empty out when I heard the yelling.

"Where is he?" It sounded like a girl yelling.

One of the Half-Bloods probably did something stupid, like usual. I walked out to lobby to find Nico trying to hold back a mess of blonde hair. Shit.

Annabeth looked up and for the first time in a while I felt a gut-wrenching regret. In my line of work you learn to let things go. One bad deed here and there doesn't mean anything, it can't, otherwise they would drive you crazy with shame. This regret I felt was so prominent it nearly shook me.

Her eyes were bloodshot, but some how still practically glowing with anger.

"You." The word was simple, but somehow Annabeth made it sound like the foulest curse to ever come from her mouth.

"Annabeth, what the hell has gotten into you?" Nico asked.

Annabeth flung her small frame away from Nico's hold and stalked up to me with an insatiable fury.

She knew. I thought the deal with Athena would be hard, but I knew now that there is nothing in this world that would make Annabeth want to see me again after this. The deal had just become tragically easy.

She stood still in front of me for split second, analyzing me, like she did so well. Then she backhanded me so hard I felt stars for a second. If I wasn't so shocked I would have been proud that Annabeth had that kind of strength.

"You've lied to me for months. You made me believe that we were friends, partners even."

It wasn't true, I hadn't known for months who had attacked her, but I still hadn't told her the truth. I choose to stand there silently, I would let her say what she needed to say. After all, I wouldn't be able to ask for her forgiveness. I couldn't explain anything, there would be no point. This would be the last time I ever talked to her.

"Your father tried to have me killed for some petty war. It was no coincidence that you found me that night." Her voice wavered for a split second before she steeled over again.

"You made me trust you, you made me care for you. You kissed me, you sick, son of bitch." The disgust in her voice was evident.

"What is she talking about Percy?" Nico asked. The few Half-Bloods that were still in the shop, stood shocked.

I couldn't bring myself to look into Annabeth's or Nico's eyes so I settled on a tire in the corner of the shop.

"Poseidon hired the hit on Annabeth. He was trying to end the war with the Titans, by scaring their backer away. The backer is Athena Minerva, Annabeth's mom." I did my best to make my voice sound indifferent.

I didn't have to look at Nico to know he had a look of horror on his face. His repulsed grunt was enough.

"I'm done with all of this, you, the Half-Bloods, and the Titans. If you come anywhere near me again I'll have you arrested for harassment." Annabeth's glare was enough to draw any man to his knees. However I fixated on her last statement.

"What do you mean your done with the Titans?" I asked.

"That's all you have to say to me? You're pathetic." I didn't bother arguing with her. She was right.

"The Titan are protecting you, you can't just be done with them."

"What the hell do you care?" She questioned.

"Listen to me Annabeth, I know you hate me. I get it. I won't be around to protect you anymore, so you need the Titans to protect you." I implored.

She narrowed her eyes at me.

"I don't know what game you're playing, but I'm done being a part of it. Stay the hell out of my life." She backed away from me and turned around. When she got to the doorway she turned back to look at me one more time. Everything in me wanted to drop to me knees and beg for forgiveness. But, I stayed silent.

"I hope you and Luke tear each other apart."

Those were the last words she said to me before she walked out the door and out of my life.


End file.
